Destiny Awaits
by Lexiconograph
Summary: Seiftis. Chapter XVII: Quistis is on her way to a mission in Esthar and Seifer feels trapped, in all senses of the word, in her dorm room.
1. Diamond Dust

**Chapter I - Diamond Dust**

_When happiness ran . . ._

_Tears and dust were left behind . . ._

_All because of one man._

* * *

It was close to midnight as torrential rain pelted down on Quistis's head, which made the burdens in her mind seem heavier than before. She shivered once as she stepped out of the train station in Balamb Town and pulled at her coat collar to keep the chilled wind from kissing her neck. Quistis Trepe hadn't expected weather such as this, but that couldn't be helped. She shifted her backpack to a more comfortable position and walked toward Balamb Garden.

Her mission at Esthar had been simple enough . . . perhaps _too_ simple. All she had to do was lead a team of SeeDs to guard Dr. Odine's Laboratory for a week while he, a few scientists, and his entire security crew went to conduct research at Tear's Point. Quistis hardly called it a mission. She could have handled it herself without the other SeeDs, but Headmaster Cid insisted she take some newly instated SeeDs with her so they could have an opportunity for more experience. After several boring reports to the Headmaster, Quistis received permission to relieve her squad of their duties a few days early, which explained why she was heading back to Garden alone.

_Alone . . . I__'m always alone. Nothing ever changes._

Before long, Quistis reached the Front Gate of the currently stationary Garden. It had only been a week but she missed the place. Her shoes made wet noises as she walked, while water dripped from the tips of her hair and made a trail of droplets on the floor like the breadcrumbs of the lost.

Once inside her dorm, she dropped her backpack on the floor and sighed. _Cid__'s report can wait until tomorrow._ Quistis wanted a long shower. Rainwater always made her skin feel sticky, and Quistis had the word 'comfort' written near the top of her mental list of favorite things.

After the shower, she changed into a simple and white cotton nightgown, blow-dried her long golden hair, and collapsed onto her soft bed only to stare at the ceiling. One look at the clock on her small dresser told her it was late and that she should sleep, but she couldn't. She lay there and thought . . . about everything.

It had been three months after they had saved the world from Ultimecia's reign of terror. The world was at peace once again, as much peace as a world could have. Quistis had confronted Headmaster Cid one day to tie up some loose ends, and had asked for the reinstatement of her Instructor's License. The scene was still fresh in her mind.

.

..

...

_"Come in,__" Cid Kramer beckoned Quistis inside his office. __"Have a seat, Quistis. You wished to speak with me?__"_

_"Yes, sir,__" Quistis began, taking the offered seat. __"I would like to know if it__'s possible to obtain my Instructor__'s License again, sir.__"_

_Cid rubbed his chin, exhaled through his nose and said, __"Quistis, I__'m afraid it__'s not possible at the moment. I__ have already brought up this matter at the last Garden Executive meeting. The board members have kept all your personal records and, frankly, they still think that you might lack leadership skills. Unless they finally decide to listen to me, there__'s not a very good chance for you getting your license again. But since you were once an Instructor and you__'ve had plenty of experience as a mercenary, especially following the events of the recent war, you are now a Rank A SeeD. That__'s the best I can do for now. I apologize, Quistis.__"_

_Quistis__'s heart sank and she knew better than to argue. Maybe if she didn't let on that she was disappointed, they just might give her the license back. After all, it really seemed as if they WANTED her to be sad. Quistis faked a smile. __"It__'s all right, sir, I understand.__"_

_Cid nodded. __"All right then. You are dismissed. Have a nice day, Quistis.__"_

...

..

.

Quistis's eyes closed. "_Have a nice day?__" That ruined my week._ Her utter disappointment had to be stopped short when she was sent on various missions, more than she could keep track of. _Perhaps it was Cid__'s way of trying to take my mind off that license and let me believe that I__'m useful._

Her thoughts eventually drifted to the others. Squall, Rinoa, Selphie, Irvine, Zell . . .

Squall and Rinoa had been together for quite a while, resulting in some commotion at Garden. "A top-notch SeeD dating a sorceress!" they would say, astounded. But after time passed, everyone became accustomed to the combination. Because of Squall's accomplishments in the war, Headmaster Cid permanently promoted him to Commander, so if anything were to happen to Cid, Squall would be in charge. Squall didn't seem to mind. _I wonder if he even cares._

Selphie had gotten the Garden Festival Committee up and running as soon as she had everything organized, and was quickly elected by other members of the committee to become the President, while Irvine (pulled in by Selphie unwillingly) became Vice-President. Irvine didn't object as much as time went on. "I get to spend more time with my Selphie this way," he once said with a wink while a blushing Selphie elbowed him in the ribs.

As for Zell, he wasn't any different than he used to be, except that he actually began to notice things other than hot dogs: the library staff. Quistis never pictured Zell to be another Irvine, but she always caught him chatting to some of the ladies at the front desk of the library. It seemed as if the Ultimecia incident had given him some kind of newfound courage. Not long after, he found himself a girlfriend whom he really liked: a cute but rather shy girl by the name of Lydia, who always had her shoulder-length hair in a pigtail.

It was only typical that they were all paired off in some way while Quistis was left alone. She actually preferred to remain that way: no relationship hassles, no commitments, and no worrying about hurting anyone. Sure, there were the Trepies, but Quistis knew they would never have the nerve to talk to her any time soon. Even if they did relay their intentions, she would turn them down. Though she was no longer an Instructor, those very same Trepies still admired her for her intellect and calm demeanor. She'd give them a wave or a pleasant hello whenever they addressed her in the halls, but the stoic expression she so often wears rarely came off her beautifully serious face.

A sudden noise in the hallway made Quistis snap out of her thoughts. She lifted her head. _Footsteps . . . who could be up at this time of night?_ She waited until the footsteps faded then lowered her head back down to her pillow. Quistis tried to quit thinking like an Instructor — really, she did — but sometimes she couldn't help herself. _I hope it wasn__'t a student, breaking curfew. Surely, they would__'ve been caught if the Disciplinary Committee were still around._

The Disciplinary Committee. She hadn't thought of them in a long time. _I wonder where they could be now. Fujin, Raijin . . . Seifer._ She sighed. _Not that I should care, but what if he__'s getting into trouble again? He was my student, after all . . . my favorite student. _Quistis had realized that out of all her students, it was Seifer whom she admired the most.

Seifer, not Squall.

Quistis had liked Squall because he gave her the least trouble. In fact, he didn't give her anything at all. Squall was an introverted and anti-social boy, who kept to his textbooks and studied hard, always thinking but never talking.

Seifer, on the other hand, preferred the hands-on approach to learning, and knew that direct experience and knowledge could not be obtained through textbooks alone . . . not that he didn't read his textbooks either. Quistis had seen him at the library once or twice extremely close to curfew. She figured that Seifer was sure no one could catch him being such a bookworm that late at night. She saw how very careful he would be while turning the pages, to minimize sound so that unwarranted attention wouldn't be drawn to him. _He was such a fine young man, even if he was arrogant. Always passed my written tests, and yet the field exams were always no good._ Quistis sometimes wondered what good the hands-on approach really did, but of course, everything always narrowed down to one key point: he couldn't — no, _wouldn't_ — follow orders.

_Seifer . . . I wonder if I__'ll ever see him again. Unlikely. Besides, why would he want to see his mediocre ex-Instructor?_

* * *

" . . . went smoothly. Dr. Odine was very happy when he returned and even commented that he wished he had SeeDs as his security guards instead of the current team he has," Quistis finished.

Cid seemed more than satisfied. "Very good, Quistis. You always return from a mission with positive results. I must say that I'm very impressed."

"Thank you, sir," Quistis said with a nod.

Cid turned to the window before speaking again, somewhat awkwardly, "Quistis, are you happy?"

The question startled her mind. "What do you mean, sir?"

"I know you really want your old job back. You seem unhappy about not teaching. Edea and I . . . we love you very much. You're like our daughter. It hurts us to see you unhappy."

"Thank you, sir, but I will be fine," she lied.

Cid sighed. "All right, but if you need anything, please don't hesitate to let us know. You're dismissed."

Quistis walked out of the office with eyes more downcast than usual. She allowed herself to be lost in thought as she tapped the down button of the elevator. The elevator doors weren't far from Xu's desk, and so Xu noticed something different about Quistis and asked her, "Quis, is something wrong?"

Quistis turned her head back to look at Xu and gave a quick smile. "I'm fine, Xu." Quistis stepped into the waiting elevator and decided to visit the Training Centre, wanting to calm herself by hurting a few unfortunate monsters.

After a few Grats and Raldos, and drawing from them to stock up on some spells, Quistis got tired of fighting. Quistis coiled her Save the Queen around her waist and strode towards her dorm.

_Is this all my life is now? Training, missions, sleep and wake, eat, and generate mission reports?_

_How boring._

_Quistis Trepe, I__'m disappointed in you._


	2. Rebirth Flame

**Chapter II - Rebirth Flame**

_Thousands killed . . ._

_By a rampant fire . . ._

_All because of one dream._

* * *

A lone figure stood by the large glass doors in a room of the newly renovated Balamb Hotel. The doors led to a plain balcony located in a place where one could see everything happening in Balamb Town in vivid detail. The man held a glass of water in his gloved hand, watching the rain come down on the small streets. He had started looking outward since the rainstorm began unexpectedly and remembered the way people outside ran for shelter. _Just like how they ran from me_.

Seifer fixed his gaze on the water he had been drinking and exhaled slowly. The liquid reminded him of the many tears he had seen people shed when their loved ones had been killed . . . by him. He knew why they had cried, and yet he did not. He understood, because he too was lonely, just like they had become. Yet he would not fully understand, because no one had killed the ones _he_ loved. No one made him lonely but himself.

_Alone . . . I__'m always alone. Nothing ever changes._

He knew he hadn't felt the least bit happy in the longest time. Even in his time with Ultimecia, he was never truly happy like he thought he would be. He was blinded by the promises of getting anything he wanted, even when he knew deep down that everything the Sorceress fed him were lies. Why he had continued to follow her orders he did not know. The reason why he had done everything still remained an untouchable mystery, even to him.

So many had died because of him, but he hadn't done it alone. He couldn't have done all those things without the help of one of the most important things in his world: Hyperion. He glanced across the room where it lay on the bed. Even after all these years it still hadn't lost its gleam; Seifer made sure of that. Hyperion was the one object that Seifer loved enough to take extremely good care of. Needless to say, Hyperion was the only thing about Seifer that was still in perfect condition.

Everything else he had was scarred. His face, his pride, his life.

The Ultimecia incident had changed him for the better, taught him lessons not even the best Instructor in all the world could ever teach him. He regretted everything he had done the instant he'd done it, but had too much pride to admit any shame. He hated everything that belonged to him. He followed Ultimecia and hated his feet with each step; he killed and hated his hands; he mocked and hated his lips; he schemed and hated his mind; he commanded and hated his voice; but worst of all, he pushed away everyone he loved and hated himself.

Fujin and Raijin: he missed them. He hadn't seen or heard from them since they left him three weeks after the war. They had gotten married at Fisherman's Horizon without bothering to inform him. Seifer had doubted that they still wanted him as a friend until Raijin told him:

.

..

...

_"Seifer, if you ever need anything, you can always come to us, ya know? We promise we__'ll be here for you, ya know,__" Raijin said, patting Seifer on the back._

_"ALWAYS.__" Fujin added._

_"Yeah. And if you ever have the time, you can come visit us and see our little babies, ya know.__"_

_Fujin blushed. __"RAGE!__" She kicked Raijin in the usual spot, and Seifer couldn't help but laugh. It never gets old. __"RAIJIN. TALK. TOO MUCH.__"_

_"Yeah, all right, I__'m sorry, ya know. But yeah . . . we__'re a posse and we__'ll always be together. __So, yeah . . . we__'ll be seein' ya around. Here__'s our address, and ya know. Come see us anytime.__"_

_...  
_

..

.

Seifer reached inside one of the inner pockets on his coat and felt the little piece of paper Raijin had given him before he turned around and left. He left it where it lay; he just wanted to make sure it was still there. Seifer took a sip of water when his throat suddenly felt dry. As he drank, his eyes wandered towards the window again and, a bit further to the right, he could see Balamb Garden glowing in the distance.

_Puberty Boy and Chicken-wuss . . . I wonder if they__'re asleep yet. _Seifer thought of them only occasionally, and whenever he did, he'd admit that yes, he did miss teasing and picking fights with them, just as he had done in their days at the orphanage. Whenever Seifer got into a fight, whether it was with Squall, Zell, Irvine, or Selphie (very rarely), there was always someone who would come to break it up and yell at Seifer for being 'mean and rude'.

"Quistis . . . " The name escaped his lips in a whisper and its sound died in the silence of the room. He had only spoken her name aloud once in a blue moon. To him, she was always either 'Instructor' or 'Trepe' – nothing more, nothing less. Seifer never meant to be as cruel as he was to Quistis, but he couldn't help himself when everything changed that one day when a broody Squall Leonhart entered Quistis's classroom, pulling Seifer's attention away from her lecture momentarily (he wasn't really listening anyway). Not long after, he noticed that Quistis started to pay more attention to Squall than anyone else. Seifer became jealous and often took his anger out on others.

At first, he had called her those names to mock her, but when those intentions were lost, it became a habit. Every so often, when they talked alone after her classes (usually about Seifer's 'disrespectful behavior'), he caught himself addressing her with those names more softly than he intended. Whenever that happened, he would silently curse himself for doing so and desperately hope that she didn't notice.

Seifer also missed patrolling the hallways after curfew with Fujin and Raijin to catch students breaking Garden rules. From time to time, he would find an excuse to walk away and patrol elsewhere. "Divide and conquer," he usually said. But what Fujin and Raijin never found out was that Seifer sometimes didn't actually patrol, but went to visit a certain someone instead.

He would walk down a particular hallway in the dormitories after five minutes of 'patrolling' and stop at a certain door. He would knock lightly once (twice if necessary) to wake up the Instructor on the other side. No matter how tired she was, Quistis would always open the door and, sometimes, glare at him for interrupting her sleep. In the end, she would always ask politely, "What is it, Seifer?", and he would always have a ready reply regarding one problem or another, whether it was the essay due the next day or the specific time of the next field tutorial – all excuses to see that rare image of Quistis in her white cotton nightgown with her hair down before he went to sleep for the night. Seifer Almasy wasn't stupid. With the exception of Squall, he knew just as well as every other man in Garden that Quistis Trepe was beautiful. _I wonder if she still has that nightgown._ Seifer chuckled at the thought.

A moving figure pulled his attention away from Balamb Garden. It was the very person he had seen in his dreams almost every night – dreams that haunted and comforted him at the same time. He closed his eyes tightly for a few seconds and opened them again. _Nope, still there._ His eyes followed Quistis's every move as she stepped out of the Balamb Train Station. _She probably just came back from a mission. It's not like she does anything else with her life._ Seifer watched as she pulled at her collar and shrugged her shoulders twice to adjust her backpack. She looked very cold. _Is she insane, walking outside in weather like this?_ The rain hadn't let up. Seifer wished he could run down and at least offer her his coat and look into her eyes without any guilt.

_Guilt. I__'m guilty . . . because I tried to hurt her. When I once told myself that I never would._ He knew he had broken his own promise many times while he was at Garden, yet it was that very same promise that kept him from finishing her off in the last battle they had during the war. He had admitted to himself that other than Fujin, Raijin and Matron, Quistis was probably the one he cared for most. But it wasn't love, that much he knew for certain.

By the time he stopped pondering, Quistis was already out of sight. He sighed and with one last look at the window (hoping to see her again, but to no avail), turned back to his bed in the middle of the dark hotel room to lay down. His eyes closed, begging for a dreamless sleep.

* * *

By the time Seifer woke up, the sun was already blazing through the hotel room window. He pulled the covers off his body and stretched lazily. He was bored already. There was nothing for him to do and he was not welcome anywhere except hotels, who did anything for Gil. Only a few people were scared of him and most people thought he was powerless without a Sorceress backing him up.

The rest hated him.

Seifer didn't mind, nor did he care. He was used to being hated, even when he was a child. He knew the only people who did not despise him were his posse, Matron, and . . . Quistis? No, he was sure she hated him, too, though she never acted like it. Then again, Quistis rarely acted with any emotion. Why did he think of his former Instructor so much? Every single morning, she would be one of the first things that he thought of. _That can__'t be good . . . my mind is probably just so bored out of its own mind that it's trying to find something to fixate on._

Suddenly, he remembered. Wasn't today the day when he said he would – _no, it was probably tomorrow_. He paused and sighed. _No, you can__'t keep putting it off. If you__'re going to do it, then do it. Don__'t wait until tomorrow again. You always say that, and you never go through with it._

Today was the day. Today was the day he told himself he would try.

Try to get back into Garden.

Seifer, being a very impulsive person when it came to most things, didn't have any way to go about accomplishing that near-impossible task. But since he was in a spontaneous mood, he decided to give it a try and grabbed a phone book. He found Balamb Garden's number and dialed methodically on the beige hotel phone. A ring sounded in his ears.

"Good morning, this is Balamb Garden. How may we assist you?" a voice answered.

"Uh, yeah, hi. Transfer me to Cid."

"Who's calling?"

_Should I lie, or . . . ?_ "Seifer. Seifer Almasy." No lies. He still took pride in his name.

There was a pause on the other end.

" . . . fine. Just a moment, can you hold?" Seifer heard a soft click and waited, hoping against hope that the person didn't just hang up on him. After a minute or two, Seifer suspected that the person _did_ hang up. Just as he was about to end the call, he heard someone speak.

"Hello, Headmaster Cid Kramer of Balamb Garden."

"Hey, Cid. It's me."

" . . . hello, Seifer. Uh, how have you been?"

"Fine."

There was an awkward pause. "Well, Seifer, was there a reason why you wanted to speak to me?"

"Yeah, I wanna know if I can come back." Straight and to the point. Nothing else humbled him more than this request alone.

"Seifer, are you aware of what you did?"

"Yes, I am. Don't think I _don__'t_ know what I did. Look, I know I was . . . " he had trouble saying it, "_stupid_, to betray everyone like that. But I didn't mean it, all right? I wasn't thinking clearly and" Seifer sighed and put his hand to his forehead.

Cid must have sensed his distress. "I understand, son. But" Seifer heard a muffled voice in the background. Cid sounded like he had a hand over the phone, "Yes, he's oh, certainly."

There were a few rustling noises and soon a different but familiar voice spoke, "Seifer, dear, this is Matron. How are you?"

_Well, isn't this awkward._ "I'm fine, Matron, and you?"

"I'm good, Seifer, now that I know you're all right. Everyone misses you, dear."

_Yeah . . . right._ "Matron, you shouldn't need to cover for those guys. Don't say things you don't mean."

"I'm sorry, dear, but won't you please come back? You worry me sometimes."

"Well, you know, since you offered so kindly, why not?" Sarcastic as always, but the poor lady never picked up on such things. "That depends on whether your _darling_ husband will let me."

Seifer heard Edea speak in a slightly stern tone, "Cid, you _will_ let our Seifer come back, won't you? Giving him another chance wouldn't hurt." Another pause. "Seifer, Cid will speak to you now. Take care, please?"

"Sure."

"Hello, Seifer. Cid here. Well, I don't need to be told twice. If Edea thinks you should come back then I'll give you that chance. _But_, if the Garden executive won't let you back in, then no one can. Do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear."

"Where are you right now?"

"Balamb Hotel."

"That close already? Well, that saves us a lot of time. I'll make a few phone calls and call a meeting with the Garden Executive. It may take a few days, so would you mind dropping by some time within the next two days?"

"Sure."

"I have high hopes for you, Seifer. Always had, always will."

Seifer frowned. _Funny, he never looked like he cared._ "Sure." It was still hard for Seifer to use much more than one-word answers with authority figures.

"All right, Seifer. We'll be seeing you."

"Bye." The two men hung up at the same time.

_You did it. You__'re going back to Garden. Unless the stupid Executive screws you over._

Seifer stood up and took a deep breath. He still had a few days left to do whatever he wanted. After that, there was no turning back. It's not as if he liked the way he was living his life now anyway.

_Might as well enjoy my 'freedom' while it still lasts._ He went down the stairs briskly, checked out at the lobby and left for the train station to buy a ticket to Dollet. He always liked Dollet, even if it was where he had failed his last Field Exam.

_I__'ll pass that exam this time. I know I will._

_Seifer Almasy, don__'t disappoint yourself again._


	3. Brotherly Love

**Chapter III - Brotherly Love**

_Two lives rejoiced . . ._

_Another found brotherly love . . ._

_All because of one meeting._

* * *

On a typical Friday at 0900 hours, the faint rays of the morning sun already lighted Balamb Garden, and the majority of the students and faculty were either in class, in the library, or on a mission. Quistis was casually making her way towards the Quad with a thick book hugged to her chest, dying to catch up on some reading outside in the warm sun. She loved early mornings and late nights – they were the quietest times during the span of a day. _But what I wouldn't give to hear the chatter of students in a classroom again._

The Quad was as quiet as the rest of Garden if not quieter. Quistis saw Lydia sitting on a small bench, scanning a magazine. The two ladies saw each other and exchanged small greetings. Lydia grinned delightfully while Quistis only smiled and turned away, slow enough so Lydia wouldn't think she didn't want to see her. _I don__'t dislike the girl. She just looks too happy. Like Selphie._ Quistis sighed and sat down on another bench a little ways away from Lydia.

Selphie suddenly appeared, looking breathless. She saw Quistis and her entire face lit up. Quistis's eyes widened for a moment when she saw Selphie charge at her. The hyperactive girl managed to screeched to a halt before she hit Quistis. Selphie looked . . . happier than usual, if such a thing was possible.

"Quistis, Quistis! I knocked at your dorm for _soooooo_ long and no one answered, so I thought you were probably awake! I've been looking all _over_ for you!" Selphie exclaimed with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Why so early in the morning, Selphie?" Quistis inquired, unconsciously tapping her fingers on the hard cover of her book.

"Just look at _this_!" Selphie brought her hands out from behind so quickly she almost hit Quistis in the face. It was a white envelope with 'Quistis Trepe' written on its surface with fancy gold lettering.

"What is this?" Quistis turned the envelope around and stared at the circular silver seal.

"You'll see!" Selphie rocked back and forth on her heels as she watched Quistis carefully pick the sticker off with her fingernails. It was a plain and simple white card, and on the inside it read:

.

..

...

**_President Laguna Loire_**_ **of Esthar**  
_

_requests the pleasure of your company at the marriage of his son  
_

**_Mr. Squall Leonhart_**_ to **Ms. Rinoa Heartilly**  
_

_at the **Balamb Garden Quad**_

_this coming **Wednesday at 1700 hours**._

_Evening banquet and dance to follow in the **Balamb Garden Ball Room**._

_...  
_

_..  
_

_.  
_

Quistis's hands trembled. _Stop it. You don__'t love Squall, you KNOW you don__'t. He__'s getting married, for Hyne__'s sake. It__'s too late to love him now even if you wanted to._

"Quistis? Is everything okay?" Selphie's hand on Quistis's shoulder shook her away from her thoughts.

"Oh, of course, Selphie." Quistis put on her usual mask. "They're finally going to get married. I was wondering when it was going to happen. I'm happy for them."

"Me, too!" Selphie giggled. "I thought Squall would _never_ do something like that!" _I think we all know how he__'s changed since Rinoa came into the picture. _"So, you're going, right? Who _wouldn't_ go to a wedding! Rinoa said she'd be _very_ happy if we could be her bridesmaids! She also said we could wear whatever we want as long as it looks proper in a wedding!"

"What!" Quistis was about to shout the rest of her opinions, but she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself so she toned it down to a fierce whisper. "Selphie, you know how I feel about these functions. They're not really my type"

"Come _on_, Quisty! You have to have some fun once in a while! You can't wear that darn thing forever!" Selphie pointed at Quistis's SeeD uniform. The uniform was ages old, but still looked brand new due to Quistis's careful maintenance. "You _need_ a new dress."

"I don't see what's wrong with this uniform. I've worn it to SeeD inauguration parties for as long as I can remember, and no one's ever made any bad comments." Selphie opened her mouth to speak again but Quistis was quicker. "_But_, I understand this is not suitable for a wedding, so I promise you I will find something else."

"Okay, I trust you!" Selphie held up a finger and waved it in Quistis's face as a warning. "I have to go now, Quisty! Irvine told me he'd take me shopping today to buy my dress so I'll see you later!" From where Quistis was standing, it looked as if Selphie had bounced out of the Quad rather than walked.

Quistis sighed inwardly, reading over the invitation again one last time and placed it back in the envelope. If this had happened a year ago, she would've fled from where she was standing, ran to her dorm room and did something really stupid. But she felt . . . almost nothing. There was some relief and . . . maybe even genuine happiness for the couple. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't explain why she felt this way. _You__'re always analyzing everything. Give yourself a break. _She looked around and saw that Lydia had long disappeared. Quistis sat down and opened The Origin and History of Guardian Forces to the page where her bookmark was located.

* * *

Gripping Hyperion securely, Seifer moved quickly across Alcauld Plains, visibly ticked off. He was sick and tired of running into incompetent Bite Bugs every ten steps. They would not leave Seifer alone.

_It can__'t be my cologne. I don__'t even wear cologne._

It seems the Bite Bug population had grown around these parts, and it never did any good to ignore them since the noise of their flapping wings could drive one insane. At this rate, he wouldn't reach Garden until nightfall. _You__'d think Esthar would__'ve invented some kind of Bite Bug spray by now._

Something buzzed in his ear. Seifer groaned. _Oh, come on . . . not now . . . not again . . ._ Without watching where he was aiming, Seifer hit the Bite Bug with the hilt of his gunblade, knocking it out of consciousness. _At least they__'re weak._

Soon after, Balamb Garden came within range. _Finally. _He walked up the steps of the Front Gate and headed towards the entrance. _That Cure Draw Point is still there. Did they not change anything around this dump?_

When Seifer reached the entrance, the security guard halted him. "Excuse me, sir. If you're a visitor, you have to—" Seifer wasn't surprised when the young man's eyes widened. He was used to this. "Y-y-you're . . . S-seifer Almasy! T-t-the Sorceress's Knight! Er . . . ex-knight!"

"That I am," Seifer replied, looking slightly amused, "now if you would kindly let me insi—"

"N-no!" the man interrupted. "Not unless you have permission!"

"And who said I don't?"

"No one told me I was supposed to be expecting you!"

"I'm sorry, Hank. That would be my fault," a voice said. Seifer turned to see Headmaster Cid. "I thought I'd get here before he did. Sorry about that, Hank."

"It's okay, sir," Hank said, embarrassed.

Cid glanced at his watch before turning to Seifer. "Hello, Seifer. The Executive is here and waiting for you. Right this way." The Headmaster stepped aside so Seifer could come through the small gate. The two men walked down the long hallway towards the elevator, where Seifer received many curious looks and expressions of hatred directed at him by several cadets and SeeDs. It was still early and almost everyone was in class, which made Seifer relax a bit. _Since when did you become so tense, Almasy?_ They quickly reached the elevator and Cid pressed the down button. Seifer had never been in the basement before. _Finally, something new._ Ever since NORG was defeated and the Sorceress War ended, the Garden Executive turned the basement into a boardroom for meetings. Most meetings were held at Balamb Garden because of this convenience.

The elevator stopped when it reached the designated floor and with a 'ping!' the doors opened, revealing a plain and brightly lit room with a large square table in the middle. Seifer blinked several times. Was the table . . . gleaming? _Some idiot probably used too much polish._ There were a total of six people seated at the table in swivel armchairs, and on the table lay stark white folders filled with papers. Seifer saw no familiar faces except for two. _Oh, Hyne . . . not them._

Squall Leonhart and Martine, the Headmaster of Galbadia.

_Great. Puberty Boy__'s on the Executive along with that snobby Martine. This is EXACTLY what I need._

"Have a seat, Seifer," Cid said. Seifer did as he was told, not wanting to seem disobedient. "Let's begin with the introductions, shall we? This," Cid pointed to an unsmiling blond woman in her late thirties, "is Cahira Ashthorne, Headmistress of Trabia Garden." Cahira nodded.

"Next to her is Instructor Cedric Dolan, also from Trabia." Seifer looked at the serious but handsome young man with soft brown hair. Instructor Dolan didn't look any older than 24.

"We have two Rank A officers from Galbadia: Gilroy Adrian and Burke Berwyn." The middle-aged Galbadian officers sat unblinking as they were introduced. "Also, Martine, Galbadia Garden's Headmaster."

"We've met," Martine said in an aloof tone. Seifer and Martine stared each other down. Martine's eyes filled with disdain while Seifer tried to remain completely neutral.

Cid noticed the spark between the two and quickly moved on. "And last but not least, Balamb Garden's very own Commander, Squall Leonhart." _So the Legendary Leonhart__'s a Commander now, eh?_ "You remember Squall, don't you, Seifer?"

Seifer smirked in Squall's general direction. "Just barely."

"Now that introductions have been made," Cid continued, "let's get right to the point. Seifer wishes to return to Garden. Does anyone have anything to say about this?"

Martine spoke up almost immediately, as if he's been dying to say something about this matter for a long time. His tone wasn't rude but his words were. "He is a traitor, if not to Garden, then to the world. And for that, he can't be allowed back. I sure hope everyone here knows that."

Seifer tried not to scowl. _Great, there goes everything. _"Can't you at least give me another chance?" Seifer was doing his best to keep his voice steady. He can't afford to let his anger get in the way of his dreams again. "Has it _ever_ occurred to you that maybe I've learned my lesson?"

"Speaking of learning, Mr. Almasy," Cahira spoke with a northern accent while going through some of the files. "I've read through the records they kept of you here at Balamb and I can honestly say that I am not impressed. Although it states here under comments from an Instructor No. 14 that you are highly intelligent, physically and mentally capable of being a SeeD, it seems you can't follow orders, which is one of the most important aspects of being a mercenary." _Instructor No. 14, eh? How can Trepe manage to do this to me when she__'s not even here? Incredible. At least she thought I was smart._

Gilroy decided to put his two Gil in, "Headmistress Ashthorne, I really don't think comments from that particular Instructor can be considered valid." Gilroy held up a piece of paper for everyone to see. The document had many segments of small writing and a Garden-issue photo of Quistis in her SeeD uniform. ", According to Garden records, Instructor No. 14 had been stripped of her Instructor's License a couple of weeks before the War began." _Trepe__ was no longer an Instructor? That__'s even MORE incredible. _"I've seen her before. She was one of the SeeDs who helped end the War. Rumor has it she's got quite a reputation at Balamb Garden."

"Rumor has it she's quite a looker, too," Burke commented, snatching Quistis's profile sheet from Gilroy. Upon looking at the picture, he raised both of his eyebrows. "I guess it's not a rumor."

Seifer narrowed his eyes as annoyance started to build up in him, and though he hadn't met Burke until today he already hated him. _Maybe it__'s because he__'s Galbadian._

Cid cleared his throat to bring everyone back on topic. "Everyone, I think we should get back to the original topic."

"I agree, Cid. I'd like to end this meeting as soon as possible. I don't have all day. I've got _important_ things to do," Martine said frostily while he glared at Seifer for more than the third time that day. "I don't think we should let him back. End of discussion."

"Just a moment, Headmaster Martine," the silent Instructor from Trabia finally decided to talk. "I understand how you feel about his actions. He used Galbadia Garden like a toy and destroyed Trabia, and yes, he _did_ betray us, but that's in the past. It's quite possible that he _did_ learn something from his disloyalty." Instructor Dolan emphasized his next sentence. "You can't just walk away from everything he went through and not change."

"What are you trying to say, Dolan?"

"You know exactly what I'm trying to say. All I ask is for us to give Almasy here a second chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, and that includes him. Maybe he'll do better this time around."

"Who do you think you are? You can't talk to me like this!" Martine started.

"Yes, he can, Martine," Cid stated. "In case you've forgotten, everyone on the Garden Executive has equal say in everything."

Martine, in his current mood, had stood up without realizing. He sat back down, obviously upset, and spoke directly to Seifer, "Fine, Almasy. If you want a second chance that badly then take it. But I _insist_ that you be placed on probation. Don't think I don't have all your records. You're already nineteen and if you don't make SeeD by twenty, you know what happens. Not even _I_ can do anything about it then."

"Come now, Martine," Cahira said. "Garden rules are not set in stone. Haven't we ever had a graduate past the age of twenty? Surely there must have been a few."

"Now that I think of it, that age limit does sound a bit unreasonable," Gilroy said, stroking his chin.

"We'll bring that up at the next meeting then," Cid spoke loudly. "It's settled. I move that we allow Seifer Almasy back into Garden with a two-month probation, no exceptions."

Squall suddenly spoke up, to everyone's surprise, "Instructor Dolan's right. If we keep dwelling in the past, then we'll never get anything done. Maybe Seifer could be of some use to Garden." _That__'s Puberty Boy for you. Always thinking of Garden. He__'s as bad as Quistis if not worse._ "Everyone deserves a second chance," he quoted, "even you, Seifer. I second that motion."

_Are my ears betraying me now? Puberty Boy? Sticking up for me?_

Everyone stood up to leave, but before anyone could say anything else, Martine said, "I'll be seeing you all at the next meeting." Gilroy and Burke followed. When Martine walked past Seifer, he stood in front of him and gave him a warning, "If I hear _anything_ bad about you within the next two months, I will personally see to it that you are removed from the face of this planet, do you understand?" Without waiting for a reply, Martine and his two comrades left.

The rest of the Garden Executive and Seifer took the elevator back up to the main floor. Seifer and Cid walked Headmistress Cahira and Instructor Dolan to the Front Gate. Squall claimed that he had some paperwork to finish up. While Cid made small talk with Cahira, Seifer pulled Dolan aside.

"Hey, if it weren't for you . . . " Seifer trailed off.

"Don't worry about it," Dolan replied.

"But why? You said it yourself. I betrayed the world. Why did you help me?"

Dolan crossed his arms and sighed. "To tell you the truth, you remind me of myself when I was young. I did something I regretted but no one would give me a second chance, until one day . . . well, I won't give you the details, but someone actually did give me that second chance. If they hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to help you today. When I first saw you, you looked so ashamed. I wanted to help. Besides, you are a little friendlier than Martine said you are. And don't worry about Martine either. He's stubborn like that."

Seifer understood. "I owe you one."

"No, it's fine. But if you insist, you could help me get a date with the former Instructor Trepe." Dolan winked and laughed when Seifer's smile quivered. "I'm joking. I saw how you reacted when Burke was going on about her. You looked like you were about to feed him to a hungry swarm of Caterchipillar. Is she your girlfriend?" Seifer muttered a 'no'. _I don__'t think she even thinks of me as a friend. I don't think she thinks of me at all._ Dolan laughed again. "I think I actually met her a year ago at a SeeD Instructor Convention in Deling, but she probably doesn't remember me. She once told me about you."

Seifer's curiosity got to him. "What did she say?"

"She said you were unruly, but you have good potential." Dolan shrugged. "Well, I think I should get going. It looks like Cahira is almost done with Cid. Maybe I'll see you around some time. Work hard, Almasy, and watch yourself. Don't let all our work go to waste. It's not as easy as it looks to stand up to Martine, you know?"

"I won't disappoint." The two men shook hands.

"Take care now, Almasy." With that, Dolan left Seifer's side and joined Cahira. The Trabians stepped into their airship and left.

Cid looked at his watch. "It's ten-thirty-five hours already? I didn't think it would take that long. I think we should begin as soon as possible. Come with me to my office and I'll give you a key card for your dorm. I'm afraid I can't get you your schedule until Monday." Cid and Seifer walked back inside together. "I don't suppose you want a uniform this time?"

"I didn't want one last time. I'm not changing my mind now."

"Okay, Seifer." Cid knew that even if he was the Headmaster, he still needed to stay on Seifer's good side, just in case.

Seifer was pleased at the way everything had turned out today. He even made a friend . . . sort of. He never was the type to make quick friends, but Seifer really felt that Dolan could be trusted.

* * *

After receiving all the necessary items and manuals from Cid's office and checking into his dorm room just to make sure the key card worked, Seifer decided to take a walk around Garden to see if anything else had changed. To his great disappointment, nothing had.

Without watching where he was going, he bumped into something soft. It didn't feel nice bumping into someone like Seifer due to his height and size, and on top of that, he had been walking fairly fast. Thanks to his reflexes, the person didn't hit the ground. With one arm around the person's shoulders and the other around a waist, Seifer looked down and saw Quistis Trepe.

Her eyes were closed for a split second, as if she was preparing herself for the impact with the ground. When that didn't come, she opened her eyes and couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped her lips.

"I'm sor—Seifer!" Quistis asked, confusion written all over her face. Seifer could've sworn she was blushing.

_At least she hasn__'t forgotten me; that__'s a good sign._ "You called, Instructor?" Seifer replied smugly.

"What are you _doing_ here!"

"I just stopped your pretty little head from hitting the floor and not even a word of thanks?"

"Stop dodging the question, and for Hyne's sake, let go of me!" His eyes shone with a certain mischief and he unwrapped his arms from her body. Quistis let out a yelp of surprise and dropped to the ground with a thud. "Hyne, Seifer! What did you do that for!" Quistis pressed a hand to her back.

"Just obeying orders, Instructor. Need a hand?" Seifer held out his gloved palm in front of Quistis, who swatted it away.

"I'm fully capable of getting up on my own." She got up and asked again, "You never answered my question. What are you doing here?"

"What, am I not allowed to come visit my favorite Instructor?" Seifer smirked as he watched Quistis turn a slight shade of pink.

"Don't answer questions with questions, Almasy, it's—"

"Impolite," he interrupted, "I know. You've told me that _hundreds_ of times."

"Well, it's nice to see you actually listened."

"If you want to know why I'm here, go ask Cid. I'm sure he can give a better explanation than I can. But of course, knowing you, you'd probably just say, 'No, Seifer! I shouldn't bother the Headmaster with such trivial things!' or something along those lines," Seifer mocked.

"This is hardly trivial, Seifer."

"Look, Instructor, no one started a riot or anything yet, so why make such a big deal out of this?"

Quistis put a hand to her forehead and took a deep breath. Seifer could tell he was getting to her. "Seifer, I really do not have the time for this. Go bother someone else." She brushed past Seifer and kept walking.

He stared after her and when he caught himself stariat that one place between her back and her legs, he shut his eyes tightly and shook his head. _Great work, Almasy. How many more times does she need to walk away from you before you learn—wait, learn what? _He shook his head again to clear his thoughts. He started to walk away but something on the floor caught his eye. He bent down to pick it up. It was an envelope, addressed to Quistis. _She must__'ve dropped it._ Seifer smirked to himself.

_Looks like Hyne just gave me another excuse to see her._


	4. Ruby Light

**Chapter IV - Ruby Light**

_In the midst of obscurity . . ._

_A light of hope appeared . . ._

_All because of one rejection._

* * *

Quistis couldn't believe it. She never thought she would see him again. Not now, not this soon.

He didn't seem like he had changed much, although she must admit he was just a little more polite than he used to be. Quistis was annoyed that he kept calling her 'Instructor'. _Maybe he doesn't know._ She had considered telling him that she wasn't an Instructor — especially _his_ Instructor — anymore, but she knew if he found out, he'd mock her persistently.

_"What__'s that, Trepe? Not an Instructor anymore? Maybe they finally realized you were mediocre.__"_

That was what he would say, Quistis was almost certain. She _had_ gone to Cid's office for an elaboration of Seifer's sudden appearance, but Xu had told her that Cid had stepped out and wouldn't be back until late afternoon.

There was nothing to do at Garden except eat, sleep, read, or train. Reading was out of the question, since she already spent hours reading and finishing her book. It seemed like everyone had left her behind. Selphie and Irvine were shopping in Deling, Zell was still away on a short mission, and Squall and Rinoa were likely quite occupied with wedding arrangements.

For the very first time in her life, Quistis Trepe was completely bored.

She would gladly admit to anyone that her current life was all too routine. It felt like a schedule to follow, not a life. But she was a mercenary – she wasn't _supposed_ to have a life. Perhaps 'life' might become a little more exciting when she turns twenty. SeeDs at that age are usually dispatched all over the world or enlisted in armies, unless you were a member of Garden staff, which Quistis once _was_. That triggered some thoughts about her Instructor's License. She had lost all hope on ever getting it back, so it does not hurt as much when she thinks about it now. In fact, she's not supposed to feel anything at all. No, of course not. _You__'re a mercenary, remember?_

Born to fight, raised to fight; born to live fighting, raised to die fighting.

How did she get started on this morbid subject anyway? Her mind was so tired from thinking too much lately. Besides, Quistis couldn't afford to have doubts about her profession. It's the only life she's known and practically the only thing she was good for.

She felt a headache coming on. _Too many things going on at once. Squall and Rinoa__'s wedding, Seifer__'s return, my license . . . perhaps if I take a nap, it__ will all go away._ When she realized what she was thinking, she shook her head. Take a nap? It was still morning and she woke up only a few hours ago. _Seifer . . . I wonder where he is now. If he__'s in trouble already . . . _She sighed loudly with slight frustration. _But, Hyne, I wish something exciting would happen._

"What's with all the labored breathing, Instructor?"

Quistis spun around quickly, finding herself face to face with Seifer. "You again?"

"You know, if you keep that up, people will get the impression that you don't want to see me."

She glared at him for a split second before breaking eye contact. "What makes you think I _want_ to see you?"

"Thanks, I missed you, too, Trepe," Seifer replied sarcastically.

"What are you doing here? Did I not tell you to leave me alone?"

"You told me to go find someone else to bother. I couldn't find anyone else, so I'm back. Do you have any idea how boring it is around here?"

Quistis loosened up, somewhat glad that someone felt the same way. "You're bored, too?"

"I'm starting to think 'bored' is an understatement." Seifer rolled his eyes. Quistis felt him suddenly hesitating before he spoke again, "Care to take a walk with me, Instructor?"

Quistis was somewhat surprised by the suggestion. "Where to?"

Seifer shrugged. "Don't know. Training Centre?"

"No. Not unless you want to fight something every other minute."

"Well, why don't we just walk and see where our feet take us?"

"Fine." Quistis started walking and Seifer, slightly taken aback by her acceptance, had to run a little to catch up. They walked in silence until they ended up outside of Garden on the Alcauld Plains by the shore. Seifer groaned. "What is it now, Seifer?"

"Of all places, we just _had_ to end up outside."

"What's wrong with being outdoors? The weather is nice today."

"You don't understand, Instructor. I've got an undying hatred for Bite Bugs. They won't leave me alone."

"Maybe they're attracted to you."

"Trepe, don't even _say_ that." Seifer bumped her arm lightly with his elbow as she tried to suppress a smile.

_What__'s wrong with you?_ Her behavior scared her._ You__'re joking around? With Seifer?_

"Do you enjoy making fun of me, Instructor?"

Her light mood died and her face took on a distant expression. Seifer noticed the sudden change. He walked a little faster so he could stand in front of her. He tilted his head as he bent down to look her straight in the face and asked somewhat tentatively, "Hey, Trepe? What, did I say something?" Quistis turned away from him, staring at a spot near Seifer's left boot.

" . . . actually, yes."

Seifer felt a twinge of shame rushing back again. "What's wrong?" His voice was low.

"One 'Instructor' too many, Seifer. I'm not your Instructor anymore, nor am I an Instructor." She waited for his reaction.

Seifer exhaled and looked away from her. "I know."

Quistis's head snapped up, her eyes tried to hide shock and distress. "How did you know?"

"Did you talk to Cid yet?" he asked. Quistis shook her head. "I may as well start at the beginning. You better sit down for this." Quistis slowly lowered herself and sat down on the small stretch of sand with her knees propped up a few inches away from her chest. She wrapped her arms around her knees as Seifer took his place beside her.

"In case you haven't figured it out already, I'm back at Garden as a student again." Quistis stiffened and brought her knees closer. "After the War I had pretty much given up all hope of ever becoming a SeeD, which was one of my dreams."

_Dreams? He has . . . dreams?_

"I know what you're thinking, Trepe. Yes, I have dreams, like everyone else. Just because I decided to pursue _one_ of my dreams of being a Knight instead of sitting around not doing anything, people treated me differently."

"Seifer, being a Sorceress's Knight isn't exactly a good"

"Let me finish," Seifer interrupted. "I know what I did everything I did was wrong. But it's too late to change any of that now, and it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I never really had a home except for Garden and I was hoping they might take me back regardless of what I've done. It was an impossible thought, but I took my chances and called Cid anyway. He arranged a meeting with the Garden Executive and they all had this big discussion about my merits and value." He paused, adding an afterthought, "And the Galbadians were rude as usual."

"They're perfectly justified in their behavior. You _did_ use them, after all."

"Don't remind me. Martine explicitly hates my guts, and then there was this Burke guy who wouldn't stop talking about you. I swear, if he worked here, he'd be a Trepie." The last word tasted like venom in his mouth.

"Why was he talking about me?"

"Because you were my last Instructor."

"What did he say?"

Seifer sneered. "You're better off not knowing, trust me."

She knew better than to force it out of him. "Go on."

"Well, after a few more comments and insults from Martine, some Instructor Dolan guy decided to help me and before I knew it, I was back in Garden."

Quistis responded quickly. "Instructor Dolan? You mean Cedric Dolan from Trabia?"

"You know him?"

"Of course." Quistis's voice perked up slightly. "One of the most outstanding Instructors I have ever met, a fine man who knows his material. I met him at a SeeD Instructor Convention in Deling City last year." Seifer just nodded, staring at the ocean. "I told him about you."

"I know. He told me."

"He remembers me then?" Quistis looked surprised. Seifer nodded again slowly. "I find that hard to believe. All this time I thought I wasn't a kind of person people would remember."

"That's not true, Trepe. _I_ remember you."

"You're different. We've known each other for a long time."

"Sure." For several long moments, the two sat in silence and just watched the waves roll in and out, creating little white bubbles on the ocean surface. Seifer reached into his trench coat pocket and fished something out. "I found this on the ground after you left. It looked important so I figured I should give it back to you." He handed her the wedding invitation.

"Oh." She was speechless. Seifer was being . . . nice? _No, just unusual._ "Thank you, Seifer." She wasn't used to thanking Seifer for anything.

"No problem, In—Trepe." There was another pause.

"So I guess you know."

"Know what?"

"Didn't you open this?"

"I'm not some nosy woman. Who's it from, a Trepie?"

"It was from President Loire."

"What, is he asking you to some fancy dinner party or something?" He sounded annoyed.

"Squall and Rinoa are getting married." Quistis expected Seifer to have some sort of surprised reaction, but he didn't. All he did was raise an eyebrow.

"What about it?"

"Don't you feel anything at all? Rinoa was your—"

"I never liked her in that way," Seifer explained, "We were just good friends and nothing more. We haven't really been friends since that summer. It just looked like we were 'together' because she's the clingy type. You know that." Seifer wanted to make sure she understood.

"Yes, I have seen her with Squall. She stands so close to him, it's as if she's trying to merge with him."

Seifer laughed. It sounded oddly soothing to her ears. "You know, Trepe . . . I should be the one asking you. How come you're not mad or disappointed? No matter what you say, I know you had a thing for Puberty Boy."

"He _has_ a name." Quistis felt her hair clip coming loose from the wind but left it alone. She pushed some loose strands of hair out of her face. "Fine, I admit I _may_ have once had 'a thing', as you call it, for Squall. But I don't feel that way anymore. I realized those feelings were just a result of my over-protectiveness left over from our childhood days. On the night of the SeeD Graduation Party, when he met Rinoa for the first time, I knew I had lost. I'm no match for her, and not many are." Quistis sighed and got to her feet. "I think I should go. Prepare for the wedding and other such things." She started to walk away but Seifer, still sitting on the sand, caught her wrist.

"Wait." He rose to his feet, released her wrist and dusted off the sand on his coat. "To be honest, Trepe, you're a better woman than most. Don't even bother comparing yourself to Rinoa. She's just another privileged, sheltered kid."

Quistis searched for signs of mockery on his face and found nothing but a serious expression. She didn't say anything for a few seconds; she didn't know how to respond. But she couldn't let a rare compliment from Seifer go unanswered. "Seifer, I don't know why you're saying all of this so suddenly, but thank you."

"Before you go, I want to get something straight." He paused to search for the words, unsure if he wanted to know the answer. "Was I ever your favorite student?"

Quistis was shocked to hear that from him again. The last time he made mention of this was during the battle they were both in not too long ago, fighting on opposite sides.

Back then, she had lied to him; she had lied to herself.

She walked closer to him and looked into his eyes. "Seifer," she began. Seifer's expression remained unchanged. "You gave me the most trouble and you almost never listened to me, but you always were my favorite student."

With that final statement, she turned and walked back toward Garden, unaware of the smug smile Seifer wore on his face. But the grin faded when the familiar flapping of Bite Bug wings pounded in his ears.

* * *

"Cid, honey, you should hurry up. You told Xu you'd be back by fifteen-hundred." Cid saw the face of his lovely wife looking through the window of their vehicle from outside.

"Oh, Edea, you know how hard it is to get out of this car." Cid slowly got out and stretched. "It's fine if we're a little late. Xu will understand. It's not every day I get to take you out to lunch, my dear." The Headmaster held out his hand for Edea, who took it gently.

"And it was absolutely delightful." Edea gave Cid's hand a small squeeze.

Upon their return to Cid's office, Xu greeted them, "Hello, Mrs. Kramer, Headmaster Cid. Headmaster, two letters came in while you were out. I put them in your inbox."

"Thank you, Xu," Cid said as he held the office door open for Edea.

Cid reached for the letters and sat down in his armchair, while Edea took a seat next to him. The Headmaster opened the first letter and as he read it, a troubled sigh escaped his mouth. His wife, sensing trouble, asked to read the letter. Cid complied, digging into the next envelope for the second message.

.

..

...

**_To Headmaster Cid Kramer:_**

_I am writing to you regarding your decision to register Seifer Almasy into my __"The Basics of Junctioning__" class. I strongly feel the students would not get along well with him and I do not believe I want him in my class. Also, a few other Instructors have gotten wind of this and would like you to think twice before putting him in their classes. We are sorry for any inconvenience._

**_— Instructor No. 18 - J. Koltyn_**

...

...

...

**_To Headmaster Cid Kramer:_**

_This is a short message to confirm that Cadet Seifer Almasy is accepted into __"Understanding of Elements__". We hope to see him in class promptly at 0900 hours on Thursday. However, the student__'s application for my __"Guardian Forces and You__" class has been rejected because the class is currently full. I am sorry for this inconvenience.  
_

**_— Instructor No. 22 - S. Brahne_**

...

..

.

"Well, it's not _all_ bad," Cid commented.

"Not all bad? Seifer's Instructors either don't want him or the classes are full! Oh, the poor boy. Cid, please do something."

"Edea, dear, there's not much I can do. I could force the Instructors to teach him but they would definitely show 'anti-favoritism' towards Seifer. It seems some people are not as forgiving as others. Maybe an emergency meeting will solve this." He pressed a button on his phone. "Xu, please contact the Garden Executive and tell them there is to be an emergency conference as soon as everyone's schedules allow. That will be all."

* * *

Sunday morning came, as did the Garden Executive. Headmaster Cid filled everyone in on the situation at hand. "We don't have too many Instructors who are willing to teach him," Cid concluded, "and most of the Instructors with higher tolerance have their classes full."

"Would it do any good to make the classes bigger?" Burke suggested.

"That's impossible at the moment. Although Balamb Garden has a stable income, the expansion of the Infirmary a few months ago had consumed a considerable amount of funds. If we were to develop the classrooms further, it'll take too much time and too much Gil."

"Look," Martine pounded on the table, "he's barely been here for two days and already he's giving us trouble. Why don't we just do what we should've done: flat-out reject him?"

"Think what you want of it, Martine," Cahira said, "but I don't think this is considered 'trouble'. We decided last time that we would allow it. Why must you insist on holding grudges?"

"He used Galbadia! Gardens and SeeDs are not to be toyed with!"

"Funny how you put it that way, Headmaster Martine," Instructor Dolan said. He had had enough of Martine's attitude. "According to several sources, you once deceived a few Balamb SeeDs during the Sorceress War and used them as a last resort for the assassination of Sorceress Edea when you discovered that she wanted to use Galbadia Garden as a base. They would not have obeyed as readily if you hadn't fibbed and told them it was an order from Balamb Garden."

At this, Martine was flabbergasted.

Everyone in the room could hear Dolan's voice rising as he continued, "Remember what happened shortly after? Galbadia Garden lost to the Sorceress. Where were you then? You were sitting at Fisherman's Horizon feeling ashamed of yourself because Galbadia Garden didn't want you there anymore. But when the War was over, what did they do? They took you back with open arms. Why? Because they learned to _forgive_. If they hadn't forgiven you, you wouldn't be sitting here right now. Surely what you felt back in FH is similar to what Almasy's going through. So you, Martine, of all people, should understand how he feels and know that he too deserves a second chance if even _you_ were granted one."

There was silence as Dolan's words sank into everyone's minds and hit a spot in Martine's conscience. In those mere moments, the Headmaster of Galbadia had understood what the younger man was trying to tell him and knew that what Dolan said was sensible.

But Martine was never one to apologize. He cleared his throat. "Very well. I won't hold anything against him. But if anything unacceptable does show up during his probation, I _will_ do something about it."

"Now that that's solved," Cid carried on, "back to the topic at hand."

"As you were saying, Cid," Cahira said, "you can't expand the classrooms?"

"No, we can't," Cid replied, "but we do have extra classrooms on hand. What we really need are more Instructors, preferably ones who are capable and willing to teach students like Seifer Almasy. Of course, he should be less difficult to work with than before, hopefully."

Gilroy spoke up, "Well, now is the time of year where most people enroll into Garden, everything could start together nicely."

"Good point," Burke said, "Cid, I remember from an earlier meeting that Balamb Garden received at least fourteen new applications. We could put Almasy in that class and make it a new class of fifteen." Everyone nodded. "As for the Instructor . . . "

"Mind if I make a suggestion, Burke?" Cid asked. "How about former Instructor No. 14? I believe she has what it takes to teach this class of new students."

"Quite possible," Cahira said, reaching for Quistis's records, "but she must've been demoted for one reason or another. 'Showed favoritism', her records say."

"I'm certain she has learned her lesson. She was one of Balamb's best. I had hated to see her go just because she spent more time on some students over others. The students will be new this time, so it will be less likely for matters such as favoritism to arise again."

"Seems fair to me," Gilroy said, rubbing his chin, "Then I move we reinstate Rank A SeeD Quistis Trepe's Instructor's License."

Dolan raised a hand. "I second that motion."

"I guess that's that," Martine said. "Cid, why don't you call her down?"

"Of course." Cid held down a button on a phone placed beside him on the table. "Xu, please tell Quistis to come down to the conference room."

* * *

"_Quistis Trepe, please report to the conference room. I repeat: Quistis Trepe, please report to the conference room._" Xu's voice rang loud in the hallways of Garden as Quistis wondered why they would possibly summon her to the conference room.

Quistis made her way to the elevator. _Probably another mission._ But she has never been debriefed in the conference room before. As far as she knew, no one has. Within seconds, she was walking out of the elevator and into the room where the Garden Executive sat. She walked to the front of the table where there was a vacant chair, and gave a well-practiced salute.

"At ease, Quistis. Have a seat." Cid gestured towards an empty chair. "We've called you down to tell you some news regarding your Instructor's License." Cid gave the new Instructor a smile.

The smile itself may have been simple, but from that smile alone, Quistis knew Cid had finally accomplished what he promised her so many months ago.


	5. Tornado Zone

**Chapter V - Tornado Zone**

_From the usual calm of a spirit . . . _

_Launched a dormant tornado . . ._

_All because of one name._

* * *

"Quistis, do you think you can handle it?" Cid asked.

"It should not be a problem, Headmaster."

"Very good. Now let's go over this again so everyone here understands everything perfectly." Cid cleared his throat. "You, Quistis Trepe, Instructor No. 14, will be teaching a total of three classes to the new students who have been accepted into Balamb Garden. Seifer Almasy will be included in that class. You must treat him like every other student, no excuses. Please bear in mind that he is on a two-month probation while residing in Garden as a student, and if anything should go wrong, immediately submit a report to the Garden Executive. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll send you your schedule as soon as possible. The first day of classes will be this Thursday. Today is Sunday, which means you have three days to prepare your lesson plans. Will that be enough time?"

"More than enough, sir."

"Excellent. I believe this is the end of our meeting. Martine and Cahira, are we still on for that luncheon?" The pair nodded. "All right. As for the rest of you, feel free to wander around Balamb Garden. You're welcome here anytime. This meeting is now adjourned." The group made its way towards the elevator. It was a tight squeeze to get everyone into the elevator.

"This could be one more thing we could discuss during lunch, Cid," Cahira said, "the size and number of Garden elevators." A few people laughed politely.

As soon as the elevator reached the first floor, Squall excused himself. The Headmasters and Headmistress went to Balamb Town for lunch, while Gilroy and Burke decided to pay a quick visit to the Cafeteria.

"It's been a while, Miss Trepe," Dolan said, holding out his hand for Quistis to shake. "I never thought I'd ever see you again after we met in Deling. How have you been?"

"I've been fine, and you?" Quistis showed a tiny smile.

"I'm well, thank you for asking. I've never been around here before aside from the conference room. Would you mind giving me a tour of the famous Balamb Garden?"

"I'm not qualified to give tours, Instructor Dolan, but if you don't mind, we could walk around and you could ask questions if you would like something explained."

Dolan laughed. "Call me Cedric, and of course I don't mind. Lead the way, Miss Trepe."

"Just 'Quistis' is fine."

The two walked side by side towards the beginning of the large semi-circle hallway on the first floor of Balamb Garden, heading in the direction of the Infirmary. Quistis noticed quite a few female students stealing bashful glances at Cedric, but he either didn't notice or chose to ignore them. Dolan asked questions about the specifics of each area, while Quistis answered each query impeccably. They soon engrossed themselves into a small conversational debate on weaponry laws. It was not long before they ran into an old student who had just exited the Training Centre.

* * *

When Seifer walked out of the Training Centre after a tedious battle with fifteen Grats, he saw his former Instructor deep in conversation. He put on his usual smirk and walked up to them. They didn't notice him until he spoke.

"Dolan," Seifer greeted, "what brings you here?"

"Hello, Seifer. Just an emergency meeting, that's all. This Garden is nice, by the way – very orderly. Quistis was just giving me a tour." Seifer noticed that Dolan and Quistis seemed to be on a first-name basis.

"I see. Well," Seifer turned to the blond woman, "good morning to you, too, Trepe. Heard you getting called down to the conference room. What'd you do this time?" He couldn't help but notice how Quistis seemed more cheery than usual, if she was capable of processing that emotion at all. He'd never seen her look anything close to happy when he was at Garden. All she ever bore was her striking-but-strict expression and her stern voice. Seifer refused to think the reason she appeared more cheerful was Dolan's presence.

"You'll find out soon enough, Seifer."

"Are you implying that whatever it was you were called down for involves me?"

"Partly."

If he didn't care before, he did now. "Care to share, Trepe?"

"I think it would be better if I left it as a surprise."

"A surprise? You probably can't surprise me with a cross-dressing Chicken-wuss." Seifer saw Dolan biting his lip slightly and knew the male Instructor was trying his best not to laugh aloud, although Dolan didn't know to whom Seifer was referring. Seifer smirked.

"Don't call Zell that."

Dolan sensed that the hostility between the two wasn't new. It was evident to him that silly arguments such as these were most likely reoccurring ones. His instincts told him he shouldn't stay and watch. "Excuse me," Dolan said.

Quistis turned to him. "Yes?"

"Sorry for interrupting. If you don't mind, Quistis, I'd like to take a better look at the Training Centre. I'll leave you two to your friendly chat." He winked at Seifer and the ex-knight concealed his confusion with yet another smirk.

"I'll accompany you," Quistis offered. "No one should be going there alone." She shot a side-glance at Seifer, who had clearly been a party of one coming out of the Training Centre.

"No, it's fine." Dolan shook his head. "I only wish to see how you have built your Training Centre. I'll avoid the area with the monsters." Quistis opened her mouth to protest but Dolan didn't give her a chance. "I'm sure about this, Quistis. I've been an Instructor for years. What good would I be if I couldn't even take care of myself? It was nice to see you again. I hope we meet again soon." The two Instructors shook hands. Dolan left Quistis's side and walked up to Seifer, putting a hand on his shoulder and spoke low so that only Seifer could hear him. His words, nonetheless, were sincere. "Nice seeing you again, too. That comment you made about a crossing-dressing Chicken-wuss was highly amusing! Whatever gave you the idea?"

A picture of Zell with his characteristically cheesy grin popped up in Seifer's mind. "Sometimes these things write themselves."

Cedric chuckled warmly. He gave Seifer one more smile before departing.

"What was that all about?" Quistis questioned when Dolan was out of earshot.

"What was what all about?"

"You know . . . the winking, the smiling. Is there some sort of secret you're hiding from the rest of us?"

"Can't tell you, Trepe, it's a secret. Obviously." Seifer watched as Quistis pressed her fingers to her forehead, annoyed. "Besides, it's really none of your business."

"I suppose. I'll be seeing you then, Seifer." She turned on her heel and strode away. He noticed her gait held a little more confidence than usual.

* * *

Upon coming back to his dorm after his daily dose of morning battles at the Training Centre on a particular Monday, Seifer saw a large brown envelope stuck in the mailbox by his dorm door. He quickly snatched it out of the mailbox and entered his dorm. He cleaned Hyperion first before sitting down at his desk with the mail and commenced the exposure of the contents inside. Included in the package was a very familiar manual.

...

..

.

**_To Cadet Seifer Almasy:_**

_This letter is to confirm that you have been granted conditional acceptance (agreement to a two-month probation) into Balamb Garden. Enclosed are a copy of your weekday schedule (Monday to Friday) and a revised publication of Balamb Garden Regulations. _

_The first day of classes is **Thursday, September 17**. You have ten (10) minutes between each class. Please arrive at your designated classroom(s) prior to or no later than the bell. All staff members, SeeDs, and students of Garden must be treated with respect. Keep in mind that curfew is at **2300 hours**, unless you have acquired special permission from a member of the faculty._

**_We trust that you will abide by all Garden rules without question._**

**_— Headmaster Cid Kramer, Balamb Garden_**

...

..

.

Seifer smirked and tossed the piece of paper out of his way. The regulation handbook was of no interest to him. Because he used to be on the Disciplinary Committee, most rules were already memorized. _If I were still on the Disciplinary Committee, I__'d be allowed to stay out past curfew._ Next, he perused his schedule.

.

..

...

**_Module Timetable for Balamb Garden Cadet, Seifer Almasy_**

**_0900 - 1000: _**_"The Basics of Junctioning__" (Instructor Q. Trepe)_

**_1010 - 1110:_**_"Understanding of Elements__" (Instructor S. Brahne)_

**_1120 - 1220:_**_"Weapon Usage and Maintenance__" (Instructor H. Tyson)_

**_1220 - 1320:_**_ BREAK_

**_1320 - 1420:_**_"Guardian Forces and You__" (Instructor Q. Trepe)_

**_1430 - 1530:_**_"Mission Etiquette__" (Instructor Q. Trepe)_

_***If any schedule complications have occurred, please contact Administrative Personnel immediately.***_

...

..

.

_Trepe__'s an Instructor again and teaching three of my classes, too? This is going to be WONDERFUL, seeing her first thing in the morning, five days a week._ Whether or not that last statement was sincerely sarcastic, Seifer wasn't quite sure.

Since there was nothing for him to do around Garden for the time being, he decided maybe he could pay Instructor Trepe a little visit, just to make sure this wasn't a prank. He haphazardly folded the schedule and placed it in his pocket.

After exploring practically everywhere, the Instructor was nowhere to be found. _Maybe she__'s not even in Balamb. You__'ve got all day with nothing to do and plenty of Gil to spare. Why not go look for her?_

* * *

Dollet's weather at this time of year was rather pleasant, or so Quistis thought until it started to drizzle. She swiftly darted into a nearby store before she could get wet.

_I__'ve searched every single place in Deling and Timber. None of them had a dress appropriate for this occasion. Perhaps I would have better luck here._ Quistis had been out all day looking for a bridesmaid's dress for the wedding, which was in less than two days. She didn't usually procrastinate, but when it came to shopping, she couldn't help but to put it off until the last minute.

Just when Quistis thought she'd never find the right dress, she became aware of her surroundings. The store she had ducked into was very posh, selling designer gowns by the dozen, more accessories than she could count, and pair after pair of stylish footwear.

"May I help you, Miss?" Quistis turned around to see a young woman with a chic smile that appeared to be stuck on her face. Quistis didn't usually ask for assistance, but since she was running out of time . . .

"If you don't mind, I'd like to see your selection of bridesmaid dresses," Quistis replied politely.

"Are you the bridesmaid or the bride?"

"The former."

"Right this way, Miss." The lady led Quistis down aisles of dresses and finally stopped at a large rack at the back of the store. "This is it, Miss. Our entire collection of the finest bridesmaid dresses in Dollet." Quistis eyed a particular dress that stood out. "Would you like some recommendations?"

"Oh, no, that's fine. I believe I've found it."

"If you need anything, I'll be at the counter."

"Thank you." Quistis watched as the lady went back to the cashier counter. Her gaze turned back to the dress she had seen earlier. _The measurements look similar to the other ones I've tried on in other stores, so it should probably fit._ She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. Without bothering to try it on, she removed it from the rack and paid. She stepped out of the store and her spirits lifted a tiny fraction when she noticed that the drizzle had stopped.

Quistis sped up her walk to the Dollet Train Station, wanting to get back early so she could put the finishing touches on her lesson plans. Out of the blue, her body made contact with another. The person evidently had sharp reflexes and caught her before she could fall.

Looking up, Quistis found herself in the same situation she had been before when she saw Seifer for the first time in months, for there he was, directly above her with his arms around her, looking down with a bemused expression on his face.

"Fancy meeting you here, Instructor."


	6. Counter Rockets

**Chapter VI - Counter Rockets**

_Age-old counters strike . . ._

_When offensive rockets fly . . ._

_All because of one appearance._

* * *

"It's a pleasure to see you, too, Seifer," Quistis said with a hint of sarcasm, "but would you please let me go?" Remembering the last incident, she quickly added, "And 'let me go' does not mean 'drop me to the ground'."

"And if I refuse?" Seifer teased, pulling her slightly closer to him.

Quistis felt a minor blush creeping to her cheeks, and she closed her eyes to avoid looking at him. She looked elsewhere when she opened them again. "Hyne, Seifer, do you do this to _everyone_ you knock over?"

"No, just you. And I didn't knock you over. _You_ ran into _me_." Seifer raised Quistis to her full height and planted her feet firmly on the ground. "How's that, Instructor?" His hands went into the pockets of his trench coat.

"Much better, thank you." She was about to walk away but her curiosity got the best of her. "Seifer, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

"What for?"

"I wanted to see if you're really an Instructor again."

"I assume you received your schedule." Seifer nodded. "Then why do you need my confirmation? If it says I'm your Instructor, then I am. Do you not trust Garden?"

He shrugged and narrowed his eyes. "There are a lot of things and people I don't trust. Maybe some stupid Cadet found out I was back and was trying to play a prank on me."

"Oh, but of course. We can't have them outsmarting you now, can we?" Her sarcasm was impossible to miss.

"They wouldn't dare."

Quistis decided to switch back to the original topic. "Is that all you needed to see me for? If it is, then I shall take my leave of you." She turned away once more to go.

Before Quistis could blink, Seifer had gripped the upper part of her right arm. It wasn't a rough grip, but it was firm. "Instructor, I'm hurt," he said. Quistis found the sincerity of his tone unreadable. "Do you hate me that much to want to get away at the first opportunity?"

"Seifer, I thought we already went over this. I do _not_ hate you." She put her hand over his and pried her arm out of his gloved hand. Quistis could've sworn she felt him loosen his hold a bit when their hands made contact.

"You say you don't hate me, but you don't really like me either, do you?"

"Now, I did not say that."

"Oh? So you _do_ like me?" The expression on Seifer's face told Quistis that he was thoroughly enjoying this.

"I didn't say that either. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I find you aggravating at times?"

"And has it ever occurred to _you_, Instructor, that I find it amusing when you're aggravated?"

Quistis slapped a hand to her forehead. "Seifer, is it your life's goal to irritate me at least once a day?"

"Oh, is it ever."

"Hyne, give me strength . . . " Quistis muttered. "Seifer, if you don't have anything else of importance to say, then I will be heading back to Garden."

"So soon, Instructor? It's only seventeen-hundred. Still early. You could do some more shopping." Seifer looked at her bag and wondered what it contained.

"It's not early when the sun will be setting in half an hour, and if there's one thing I despise, it's shopping."

"Is that why you're always wearing that uniform?"

"The Garden uniform is mandatory, especially if you're a member of the faculty or a SeeD. Of course, you wouldn't understand."

She knew Seifer understood her inferred meaning: the fact that he wasn't a SeeD. Quistis could see the anger building up inside him just by watching his eyes. Unsurprisingly, Seifer retaliated coolly, "I don't _need_ a uniform to prove that I'm just as much a soldier as you are."

"I won't believe it until I see it. Now, I still have lesson plans to review, so I should be going. I don't have time to waste, unlike you."

"The first day of classes is more than two days away. You have plenty of time."

"I'm not one to put things off until the last minute, Seifer."

"Maybe it's about time you discovered the art of procrastination – it would help you become a little less uptight. Knowing you, you probably have everything done and redone at least three days before they're due."

Quistis ignored his comment. "Seifer, _goodbye_." She walked towards the Dollet Train Station located only a few feet away. Seifer ran up beside her.

"If you're leaving already, then I'm coming with you."

Quistis eyed him suspiciously. "You're not following me around, are you?"

"I'm not a stalker, Instructor. What do you think I am, a stupid Trepie?"

"Stalker, Trepie . . . there's really not much of a difference," the Instructor said, paying for her train ticket while Seifer did the same. He snickered at her comment.

"Did our stuffy Instructor actually crack a joke?"

* * *

The train ride seemed longer than usual with Seifer sitting beside her. It would've been more tolerable if he talked but he surprisingly stayed silent the whole way. Before Quistis could fall asleep, the train stopped at Balamb. Upon arriving at Garden, Quistis headed for her dorm straight away, proudly remembering that she had already been moved to a faculty cabin. Just as she was about to slide her key card through the admittance slot, she sensed a familiar presence. She turned to see Seifer leaning smugly against the wall opposite her door.

"Seifer, may I ask what you're doing right now?" she inquired.

"I wanted to make sure my Instructor got to her quarters safely. I'd be _so_ hurt if something happened to my beloved Instructor so close before the first day of classes." He gave her a smirk. "Now that that's done, I'm going to my dorm, unless you've got some last-minute plans," Seifer replied suggestively. Quistis frowned and shot him a small glare. "You think I'm following you, don't you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Oh? Well, you want to see something, Trepe?" Without waiting for her reply, he took something from his pocket and swiped it on a device in the wall. The door beside him automatically opened.

Quistis's eyes widened and she quickly checked the floor around her. A metal stripe on the floor ran from her right to Seifer's left and another ran across the hall about five rooms down. _Oh, Hyne, why me? The Headmaster must have arranged this for me to keep an eye on him._

It was a Balamb Garden policy implemented after the War. All staff including high-ranking SeeDs reside in dorms scattered throughout the residential district of Garden. There is at least one staff member for approximately every ten dorm rooms (five on the left wall, five on the right). During times of emergency, staff members will be responsible for everyone who resides within the two metal lines. Quistis was the only faculty member between those shiny lines and as luck would have it, Seifer Almasy was right across the hall.

Seeing the irritated look on his Instructor's face, Seifer snickered. "I'm looking forward to having some of those emergencies, Trepe."

The Instructor narrowed her eyes at him and turned so that her back faced him. She grabbed the envelope that had been in her mail slot and opened her door. "Whatever you say, Seifer, as long as you're not the one responsible for those emergencies. Let us hope I won't have to file any negative reports concerning you."

"Instructor, that's harsh. You speak as if you don't trust me."

"I have no reason to trust you unless you can give me one. Now, if you'll excuse me." She finished and stepped into her dorm. The door slid closed noiselessly, shutting her off from everything outside.

* * *

Quistis sat down at her desk and massaged her temples while attempting to open her mail at the same time. _Honestly, that man drives me insane. _She proceeded to read her mail.

...

..

.

**_To Instructor No. 14 (Q. Trepe):_**

_Enclosed is a list of Cadets that will be attending your class and their respective ages. To implement discipline within the classroom, seating rules have been changed and students will now sit from front to back in reverse alphabetical order (Z in front, etc.)._

_The class will no longer consist of the original fifteen (15) people but fourteen (14), as one of the students cancelled their registration. This will be the only set of students you teach until further notice. First day of classes is **Thursday, September 17**. _

**_— Headmaster Cid Kramer, Balamb Garden_**

**_Abram, Ferris_**_ (15)_

**_Ainsworth, Maxwell_**_ (15)_

**_Aki, Talman_**_ (17)_

**_Almasy, Seifer_**_ (19)_

**_Barton, Tara_**_ (15)_

**_Burg, Boyd_**_ (16)_

**_Joukin, Arianne_**_ (15)_

**_Nortyn, Maya_**_ (15)_

**_Peyent, Kurt_**_ (16)_

**_Ralston, Mariah_**_ (16)_

**_Towers, Edgar_**_ (15)_

**_Virgo, Calis_**_ (17)_

**_Warren, Aidan_**_ (15)_

**_Wishart, Nathaniel_**_ (17)_

...

..

.

Quistis frowned. _Talman Aki . . . Instructor Aki__'s only son? I never thought he would let his son apply for Garden so late. I__'ve heard he__'s quite the snob._ She mentally arranged the students in a hypothetical classroom and, according to the new seating protocol, Seifer will be sitting with Talman. _Those two together? This could be worse than Quezacotl__'s Thunder Storm._

* * *

By Wednesday afternoon, the hallways were filled with excited chatter and whispers. Talk of the wedding of Balamb Garden's Commander and the most recent Sorceress was constantly heard everywhere. For girls, the event was romantic; for the male population, it was an excuse to drink, eat free food, and (try to) get girls.

Yes, practically the whole Garden was invited.

Except for one person.

Seifer sat on a bench in front of the Training Centre with an ankle propped up on the opposing knee and both of his arms draped over the back of the bench, purposely taking up the entire space of the bench so no one could sit next to him (not that anyone particularly wanted to). He casually watched each passerby and scoffed whenever he heard someone talk about the Almighty Commander. _The Instructor having a fan club is easy to believe, but Puberty Boy?_ He laughed inwardly. _Even if I were invited, I probably wouldn't go._

* * *

She had two hours left and nothing to give for a wedding gift.

_It can__'t be too hard. There must be something._

Her mind drifted to other small details. _President Loire is coming . . . I must remember to ask him about Dr. Odine__'s latest research on GFs. I__'m sure President Loire knows something about it. I still cannot believe Squall__'s father is the President of Esthar. They__'re such polar opposites. Then there__'s Rinoa and General Caraway_Quistis ceased thinking for a moment. _That__'s it, my answer to the problem._ She ran to a drawer at her desk and pulled out a few sheets of paper.

She rushed out of her dorm and headed for the Quad, where Selphie was bound to be. When she got there, Quistis was relieved to see Selphie working away and barking orders, taking care of some decorations.

Selphie spotted her friend in no more than two seconds and ran up to her. "Quisty! Aren't you supposed to be getting ready? Everything starts soon!"

"I was trying to get ready, Selphie," Quistis replied, "but I thought of a wedding gift I never got around to getting." She showed Selphie the few sheets of paper. Reading the title at the top, Selphie gasped.

"Oh, Quisty, this is _perfect!_ Especially for Rinoa!"

"I hope this won't make her sad or —"

"I'm sure she won't, Quisty!" Selphie turned to look at the work her crew had done on the Quad. She sighed proudly. "Boy, it really brings back memories of that concert we had in FH!"

"Of course, Selphie. Do you think you can place this in the program?"

"Totally! I'll go do that right now!" The lively brunette gave the sheets back to Quistis and bounded away, whistling a nameless tune.


	7. Eyes On Me

**Chapter VII - Eyes On Me**

_When he found his eyes on her . . ._

_Emotions were no longer distinct . . ._

_All because of one song._

* * *

Seifer Almasy walked into the Commander's office and gave Squall a sloppy mock salute. "What is it now?"

Squall said, "Have a seat."

"Don't mind if I do." Seifer made himself comfortable in a leather armchair in front of Squall's desk and smirked. "Nice little place you got here, Leonhart. The happy spoils of war."

"Whatever, Seifer. That's not why I called you here."

"Then what do you want? Hurry up, I haven't got all day."

_Oh, Hyne, here we go,_ the Commander told himself. "How have things been since you came back to Garden?"

The ex-knight shrugged. "Same old, same old. Barely anything's changed. People just look at me funny, that's all. But that's their problem, not mine."

"Whatever . . . you've changed, Seifer. The old you would've insulted me by now."

"So you noticed. Took a while but you got there. Good work, Puberty Boy. You aren't that slow after all."

_On second thought—_ Squall shook his head slowly. No doubt, Seifer had changed, but he was still the Seifer he used to fight with back when they were only children. "You're on probation, Seifer. I'd watch what I say if I were you."

"If you _were_ me, you'd do exactly what I just did."

" . . . . . . " _Darn him and his smart-ass comments._ Squall inwardly groaned. Why was Rinoa putting him through this?

.

..

...

_"But Squall, you HAVE to. He's one of us,__" Rinoa said._

_"Why! Do you remember half the things he did when he was still Ultimecia__'s Knight! Do you remember what he did to YOU!__"_

_"Sure, I was mad at him for throwing me at Adel, but that__'s in the past now. If I can forgive him, then you can, too.__"_

_Squall sighed. __"I__'m not as forgiving as you, Rinoa. I__'m sorry, but I can__'t do it.__"_

_"Please, Squall, you really should. If not for me, then for him. He really needs it. He needs to feel wanted.__"_

_"How do you know what he needs?__"_

_"Just think, Squall. What would you want if you were him? How would you feel?__"_

_...  
_

_..  
_

.

Rinoa's words, of course, brought him back to the comment made by Seifer about being someone else. Now nothing made sense. He wouldn't do it for Seifer though, so he'd do it for Rinoa. "Seifer, what are your plans for today?"

"What is this? Do you want to make sure I'm not doing anything 'bad'? What next, hidden cameras in my bathroom?"

"No, Seifer, that's not what I mea—"

"Then what?" Seifer interrupted.

" . . . . . . "

"I'm losing my patience, Leonhart."

" . . . wait. It's hard for me to say . . . "

Seifer scoffed. "You know, I'm not the only one who's changed. You've never admitted something was hard for you before. Looks like Rinoa gave you more than just a life."

"Be quiet for a second, will you! I need to think!" Squall shouted. If anyone walked in at that exact moment, they would've laughed at his expression, teeth clenched and face contorted with frustration.

Seifer rolled his eyes. A moment passed and Squall mumbled something. "What's that? I can't hear you, _Commander_."

"I said are you doing anything tonight!" Squall's head hung low.

At this, Seifer shifted in the chair then leaned forward. "Well, well, well . . . this _isn__'t_ what I think it means, right? Don't you go getting my hopes up now." Seifer winked at Squall.

Squall's face flushed crimson with disgust. "No! You moron! I'm not . . . not . . . " He apparently had trouble saying it.

"Then why are you _asking_?" Seifer was amused that his comment had such an effect on Squall. _That homophobic twat._

"Because Rinoa asked me to!"

"She asked you to _what?_"

"She—" Squall was interrupted with a ring. "Hold on, let me get this." Seifer sat back in his chair. "Hello, Commander Squall Leonhart speaking. Hi, Xu. No, no, everything's fine. It's nothing, just a heated debate. Yeah, I'm sure. All right. Bye." Squall placed the receiver back and sighed.

"You were saying?"

"Well, I'm sure you found out that Rinoa and I are . . . getting married."

"Yeah, so? It's not like I don't already know that sissy people do sissy things."

Squall ignored the comment. "I know this is short notice but she— _we_ would like, er, _love_ it if you could come to the wedding tonight."

"Why? I thought you two hated me."

"People learn to forgive, Seifer, and everyone is willing to give you a chance. So come dressed _properly_ and act _accordingly_. Failure to do so is not an option."

"Leonhart, I _admire_ your ability to make _everything_ sound like a mission," Seifer said with a roll of his eyes. "Fine, I won't let you down, _Commander_."

"You'd better not. I have the power to expel you, so think twice before you do something stupid."

"Look at that, you're pretty much blackmailing me into going to a _wedding_!" Seifer laughed at the ridiculousness of it all, while Squall glared at him silently. Seifer rolled his eyes again and acquiesced. "Fine, is that all?"

"Be in the Quad at 1700 hours sharp, so that's in two hours. You can stay for the banquet and dance if you'd like."

"That suits me fine." Seifer strolled to the door and left.

_Hyne, I better not regret this._ Squall took a deep breath. With the way he handled it, Rinoa _had_ to be proud of him.

* * *

Squall Leonhart had never been so nervous. Not once in his life did he ever contemplate marriage. Perhaps the only time the thought had flitted across his mind was when he thought of his parents when he was still at the orphanage. There was no turning back now. He was already standing at the altar in the Quad, decked in a simple and conservative tuxedo picked out by his very own father, his hair styled the way it usually was, and his standard detached expression was in place. But a closer look would reveal the anxious groom chewing on his bottom lip cautiously.

The peaceful music in the background wasn't making him feel any more relaxed. Knowing that the crowd was watching him intently did not help either. His chin trembled every time he inhaled and the fluttering feeling in his stomach refused to leave. _It__'s just a wedding. No big deal. You fought monsters on a regular basis._ Squall was so distracted by his own condolences, he didn't notice the procession had advanced and he found himself looking at Zell, Irvine, Selphie, and Quistis, all dressed for the occasion. Irvine winked at him, while Zell could be seen grinning a grin markedly his own. Selphie looked like she was about to burst with excitement and Quistis was Quistis.

Having his friends up there with him helped Squall regain his confidence. All of his friends knew that for someone like Squall, this was a very big step and _very_ unexpected. Not one of them ever predicted that Squall would be the first to be married. Come to think of it, none of them had ever thought Squall's mind contained any thoughts of romance whatsoever. But Rinoa changed everything, as she always had a tendency to do.

Squall looked out at the crowd and saw Headmaster Cid and Matron sitting in the first row, holding hands and smiling like there was no tomorrow. He looked around for more people he knew: Xu, Nida, his father, Kiros, and Ward. Last but not least, Seifer Almasy, who sat as far back as possible, had even donned a black suit, and he was watching Squall from a distance with his arms folded across his chest. He wondered where Seifer had gotten the change of clothes.

The bride was dressed in a pallid gown that looked like it was composed of the whitest clouds in heaven. A crown of snowy feathers rested softly upon her head, making the contrast of colors between her raven locks and the feathers more prominent. The gown swept the floor as she walked and her lean gloved arms were shaking. Her face was hidden behind a thin mesh veil, hiding the tears of joy welling up in her eyes. As she made her way down the aisle by herself, Squall felt his breath catch in his throat. When Rinoa was within reach, Squall held out his hand and she slipped hers into his. Both turned and looked at the priest expectantly. The priest smiled a knowing smile and opened a book Squall did not recognize.

"Dearly beloved," the priest began reading from the Book of Hyne. "We are gather here today in the sight of Hyne and in the presence of these witnesses to join Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly in holy matrimony. Marriage is one of the oldest and most sacred institutions of Hyne, being the . . . "

Squall's mind blocked out everything around him as he looked on in amazement at his soon-to-be wife, the person with whom he will be spending the rest of his life. Even though Squall never was the religious type, he thanked Hyne that She had at last granted him a chance to have a real family, one that he can create for his own. The mere thought touched him to no end.

"Squall Leonhart." The groom looked at the priest, his expression serious. "Do you take Rinoa Heartilly, whom you hold by the hand, to be your lawfully wedded wife, and do you vow to be true to her, to love, to cherish, and to protect her, in sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, until death do you part?"

"I do," Squall said firmly with a nod of his head.

"And do you, Rinoa Heartilly, take Squall Leonhart, whom you hold by the hand, to be your lawfully wedded husband, and do you vow to be true to him, to love, to cherish, and to honor him, in sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, until death do you part?"

Rinoa whispered, holding back a sob, "I do."

Once more, the priest turned to Squall. "What pledge do you give of the sincerity of your vows?"

"A ring," he recited. Nida brought up a pair of rings wrapped in red velvet and presented them to the priest.

The high priest spoke to the bride. "Do you accept this ring as a pledge of the sincerity of Squall Leonhart's vows?"

"I do," came the reply. The priest asked the same of Rinoa and Squall nodded.

"With these rings, I wed thee. And may these circlets of gold, which has no end, be henceforth the chaste and changeless symbol of your evermore pure and changeless affection. And may these rings be the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond, which unites your two hearts in love that has no end. As a final blessing, I wish you happiness in your marriage. I now pronounce you man and wife. You'd better kiss the bride," the priest said, drawing a round of polite laughter. Squall kept telling himself he must've imagined the familiar snicker he heard when the priest said 'man'.

Squall lifted the veil slowly and saw that Rinoa's face was streaked with tears. He bent down towards her face slowly and placed his lips on hers. They kissed and embraced while the multitude of people around them cheered.

* * *

"You should've seen yourself before Rinoa appeared, Squall! You were shaking like Instructor Aki after his third cup of coffee!" Zell exclaimed between mouthfuls of delicious food and drink, mainly hot dogs and hot dogs.

Selphie, who was sitting beside Irvine, laughed, "Might wanna keep those bad comments down, Zell. He might hear you." Zell looked around frantically for the man while taking another bite of his hot dog. "I can't _believe_ you're eating _hot dogs_ on an important day like this! Look at all the _other_ stuff you could be eating!"

"Hey, this is probably the only time I'll _ever_ get hot dogs without trying! Unless . . . " He thought for a moment. "Hurry, Irvine! Marry Selphie!"

The cowboy burst out laughing. "All in good time, my friend. All in good time." Selphie blushed and smacked his arm playfully.

After the meal was over, the center of the ballroom was cleared. Selphie advanced to the large stage. "Hello, everyone! I hope you're all having a super time! I would like to congratulate Balamb Garden's very own Commander on being married. My best wishes to you both! Rinoa, we're depending on you to make Squall learn how to communicate more! I don't want to make this too long, so here's Zell!" Selphie skipped off and Zell replaced her.

Zell grinned. "Hey, uh . . . hi, everyone. My name's Zell. They told me I'm supposed to make a speech so here I am. I don't really know what I'm gonna say, so I guess I'll just talk for a while." He adjusted his collar and continued. "Squall here is my best buddy in the whole world, and uh, I'm _really_ happy to see him get married and stuff. You look really happy, man. I'm really glad. And those free hot dogs . . . that's probably the best thing you've _ever_ done for me.

"So, yeah. Now you two can do all those lovey-dovey things like make some babies and stuff, right? I mean, I don't really know much about this. Is that what people do when they get married? Anyway, Squall, it's been really nice knowing you. You, too, Rinoa, even if I only met you not too long ago. You're a really nice girl, so please take care of Squall for us. Yeah, yeah, I know. This speech sucks. Can I stop now, Selphie? How do you turn this thing off?" Zell passed the microphone around from one hand to the other and the expression on his face was priceless when he almost dropped it. He received a tiny scolding from Selphie as she stepped back onto the stage.

"Now that we've said what we wanted," Selphie said excitedly, "let's get down to business! I'm sure you all know it's customary for the married couple to share the first dance of the night, and boy, do I have a surprise for you all!"

* * *

Leaning against a pillar was a tall blond man trying to drown out Selphie's loud and squeaky voice with his thoughts. _First the Chicken-wuss, then the loud one AGAIN._ Seifer wanted to throw the next thing he saw, and that was a glass of champagne. He grabbed it and held it in front of him, thinking maybe he wouldn't throw it after all; he'd drink it and maybe _then_ the noise would stop. Seifer gulped down the whole thing but _still_ she just _would not_ stop talking.

" . . . and boy, do I have a surprise for you all!"

_Go ahead, Messenger Girl. Surprise me. _Seifer never cared much for surprises, even as a child. On his birthdays, Matron and Quistis (who liked to be in charge of everything) would throw surprise parties, but none of them had much of an effect on him. He would only _act_ surprised so he wouldn't hurt Matron's feelings. At this point in his life, he was very much desensitized to most things.

Except for the fact that Quistis Trepe had stepped onto the stage. _Now_ he was curious. He watched her closely as she tapped the microphone twice to test it, and proceeded to speak. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. It is with great honor that I am here to take part in the wedding of two of my dearest friends, one I've known since childhood and the other, someone I've met under the most peculiar but worthwhile circumstances."

_Come on, Trepe. What is this, a lecture? Make it interesting already._

"And so, as a wedding gift, I have decided I would like to give them something lasting and memorable. Squall, Rinoa . . . this is for both of you. But especially you, Rinoa." Seifer dared to glance at the bride and saw that she was close to tears again. _Again with the crying. No wonder I got so sick of her. Why is the Instructor dedicating something to Rinoa? You__'d think she would do something for Puberty Boy first. _"For your first dance as one, a song written by someone long ago, a special person loved by many."

_Trepe? A song? This I__'ve got to see._

Quistis replaced the microphone to its stand and marched towards the grand piano Balamb Garden had restored after the War. She sat down with a gracefulness she alone possessed. She brushed her slim fingers upon the keys and Seifer watched as she took a deep breath.

No one recognized the song until the small introduction was over and the melody could be heard, but everyone who was anyone knew the work of Julia Heartilly. Rinoa was nearly bawling by the time Squall guided her to the dance floor and both began to sway to the song.

With the champagne glass still touching his lips, Seifer listened to the tune closely. He felt the emotion being poured into each and every note she played, as if she was trying to convey a hidden feeling, yet wanting to conceal it all at once. Seifer watched her body, her hands, and her arms, all moving with the music in faultless harmony. He saw she didn't wear her reading glasses and her eyes were closed, as if she was enjoying what she was doing.

Never in his life had Seifer seen his Instructor so . . . free.

Glancing around him, he saw everyone else in the ballroom was either off in their own world, watching the married couple dance, or gazing at the pianist on the stage. As Seifer stared at Quistis's slender form sitting on the piano bench, he felt something stir in his chest, something he let linger for a second more than he should have. He dismissed the reaction.

The soft chorus played on and a crescendo led into the climax of the piece. Seifer leaned back against the pillar again, closing his eyes slowly, letting himself be swept away by the passion of the music and the telltale emotions of the pianist. Just when he was beginning to fully become relaxed, the song ended with the last note echoing around the grand ballroom.

There was a lengthy moment of silence as everyone stood, still dumbfounded by the charming song that had not been heard anywhere else for ages. Seifer put down his glass on a nearby table and dared himself to be the first to clap for her, prompting everyone around him to do the same.

* * *

Standing back up and straightening her gown, Quistis walked off the stage and was greeted by Selphie, who had been crying by the looks of her wet cheeks. "That was so pretty, Quisty! I didn't know you could play so well!" the girl praised.

"Thank you, Selphie. I owe it all to your FH concert during the war," Quistis said as she reluctantly received a firm hug from her friend.

"No problem, Quisty!" Selphie ran back up on stage and took hold of the mic again. "That was really good, wasn't it, everyone!" The audience answered positively. "Without further ado, it's time for the rest of us to dance! We'll be playing a bunch of music all night long, so get ready to PAR-TAY!" The lively teen pumped an arm into the air and jumped right off the stage, which cued an orchestra to begin playing the famous _Dance with the Balamb Fish_.

"Quistis!" The Instructor turned to see Rinoa dragging her husband behind her. The enthusiastic bride proceeded to give Quistis a hug as she whispered, "Thank you, Quistis . . . thank you so much. It was like having my mother here with us." Rinoa sniffled and pulled Quistis closer. "Oh, thank you . . . "

"I am pleased to hear that you are happy, Rinoa," Quistis answered. After a few more comments of gratitude, a rare thank you from Squall and a "thank goodness my father didn't come" from Rinoa, Quistis excused herself to wander around. It wasn't long before she stumbled upon Squall's father and his two trusted friends.

"Good evening, President Loire. You as well, Mr. Seagul and Mr. Zaback," Quistis greeted.

Laguna's face crinkled into a smile. "Hello, Miss Trepe! It's a pleasure to see you again! Great job on the piano. It reminded me of the days when we used to listen to Julia at the Galbadia Hotel." The older man sighed nostalgically. "Oh, and call me Laguna. I think we know each other well enough! So, are you having a good time? Selphie was really eager to manage and plan everything, so I didn't get to do much myself."

"Oh, it's wonderful, Mr.—" She received a small look from the president. "Laguna. The decorations and cuisine are quite fine."

"That's always nice to hear!" He flashed a charming grin. "It's a shame Dr. Odine couldn't come. I invited him and all, but he said he had research to do, although he would've loved to see how our resident Sorceress is doing."

"How is Dr. Odine's research? I heard he's been focusing his time on the environmental effects of the war as of late," Quistis inquired.

"Well, not too many leads yet," the president said, scratching his head. "He wants to do a few experiments, so nothing ground-breaking has been reported. Even if it needs a lot of funding, I'm sure the results will be worthwhile. He _has_ discovered a few things . . . "

* * *

Bored. There was no other word that could describe how Seifer felt. Everyone around him was talking, laughing, or dancing with someone else, and Seifer loathed all of those things. Picking up yet another glass of high-priced champagne, he caught sight of his blonde Instructor.

He took a step toward her but halted when he saw she was talking to someone else: an older man to whom she seemed to be paying a lot of attention. Seifer scowled and turned back to his beverage, taking in another mouthful.

* * *

It was nearly late in the evening when Seifer saw Quistis step out to the balcony. He hesitated. _Weren't you going to talk to her?_ _What__'s wrong with you?_ Frankly, Seifer didn't know what was wrong. As soon as he got within five feet of her, he stopped to take in the view.

There she was, with her elbows on the ledge, leaning forward with her head tilted to the skies. Her hair was clipped up in its usual manner and the twilight breeze toyed with the two strands of hair that framed her face. The lavender gown she wore made her seem taller and more sophisticated than she often looked, the sleeveless bodice giving her the appearance of a royal figure. _Hmph. Only Trepe could ever make a simple dress look this good._ He put on a smirk and advanced.

"Instructor," he addressed her with his rich baritone voice. She turned to face him, but not before looking him up and down in acknowledgment.

"Seifer."


	8. Tsunami

**Chapter VIII - Tsunami**

_A feral tsunami of sensations . . .  
_

_Born within hearts of confusion . . .  
_

_All because of one dance._

* * *

"Isn't it a little chilly out to be star-gazing, Instructor?" Seifer said as he stepped closer to Quistis.

"Not exceedingly," she replied with the normally emotionless look upon her face. "But I see you're dressed for the weather and the occasion."

"I had no choice. Just something I picked up in Balamb Town. No one has a body like mine, so obviously they would have one left in my size." Quistis almost rolled her eyes at his cockiness. "Besides, renting a suit from somewhere as far as Dollet would be ridiculous, especially for a small event like this one."

"Small event? Seifer, this is Squall and Rinoa's _wedding_."

"Exactly. Not _my_ wedding."

Quistis arched an eyebrow. "Hmm. I never knew your mind was capable of thoughts like the prospect of your own marriage.

"Then you don't know me at all, Trepe. And you _really_ don't know what my mind is capable of." He looked at her then, causing her to turn away. He laughed. "Someday, Instructor, I'll tell you about my romantic dream."

She was surprised. She knew he had dreams, but _romantic_ dreams? She never would have thought— "You're surprised, aren't you?" he interrupted her musings. "Didn't think a traitor like me could have dreams like that? Well, you're wrong." Deciding to change the subject, he carried on. "But I'm curious, Trepe. Since when did you start playing the piano again?"

"Again?" Quistis was confused.

"Yes, Instructor. Again. In case you don't remember, because of those stupid GFs, Matron used to teach you when you were little. You'd practice whenever you had time but you were almost always disrupted by Chicken-wuss's screaming." Quistis thought back and vaguely remembered breaking up many a fight between Seifer and Zell. "I guess it got too frustrating for you, so one day, you decided to quit and never touched a piano again. I've explained, so now you should answer."

Glad that he had started talking about something else, Quistis responded, "During the War, Selphie organized a concert at FH to boost morale. She found an old score for a song and she let Irvine assign the parts. I got the piano accompaniment. Only when I played the ballad along with the rest of them did I realize the activity felt soothing. After the concert, I wanted to pursue the art of playing, as a hobby or stress relief." She sighed. "But after tonight, I probably won't have time to play for a long while, unless I really need to get away from marking papers."

"At least you got your job back. Isn't that what you wanted?" She nodded slowly. The two of them stood, still leaning on the ledge. Finally, Seifer put his champagne glass on the ledge and turned towards her again, speaking in a somewhat hesitant manner. "Hey. I have a request."

"What is it?" When he held out a hand, she did not understand and gave him a confused look. He gave her a handsome lop-sided grin.

"A dance, my dear Instructor. Before I'm officially your student again."

Quistis was stunned but did not dare to show it. When she didn't reply, he teased her as he often did. "What's the matter, Instructor? Are you afraid?"

"Certainly not!" She nearly shouted, offended with the accusation.

"If you're worried about your reputation, don't. No one's paying any attention to anyone but themselves and I need to show off my amazing dance skills somehow."

_How typical_, Quistis thought._ That arrogance of his may have diminished but it never left._ _Since this is the first time he has ever requested anything of me so politely, I suppose it can't hurt._ "All right, Seifer. If you insist." With a great deal of caution, she placed her right hand where his was still outstretched.

Seifer's hand close around hers with an unusual gentleness. Neither of them had ever felt each other's bare hands, for even outside of battle, their hands were often gloved. He placed a warm hand on her shoulder-blade and slowly pulled her to him, leading her into the dance, their feet moving in time with a tender string arrangement. His strong arms graceful and her agile steps regal, not a beat was missed. Every twirl was a perfect circle; every motion as fluid as rain flying through the sky. Every once in a while, one of the two would observe the other for a few moments, then look away again casually.

When their eyes eventually locked, they stayed that way for the remainder of the dance, and neither wanted concede defeat and look away. The song ended and they ceased their steps, but they did not let go. They were now closer than they had ever been, with only an inch of space between their bodies. Seifer's arm had drifted to her waist half-way through the waltz, but it had gone undetected. Quistis's heart was pounding from slight exertion and the closeness, as was his.

Little by little, still in the trance, Seifer unconsciously dipped his head until he could feel her warm breath touch his lips. He became aware of her heavy breathing almost instantly, taking note of his as well. He moved his lips down further and further until—

A cheer from inside the ballroom made its way out onto the balcony where they stood, interrupting the moment and breaking the spell. Both turned and saw Squall and Rinoa sharing a kiss in the center of the room. Rinoa threw her bouquet into the air as dozens upon dozens of desperate young girls stretched their arms and reached. The bouquet came down and bounced off Zell's head (emitting a small cry of protest), landing in Lydia's arms. The martial artist and his girlfriend turned red and hugged each other, while everyone around them applauded. More people walked over to watch and the crowd began to block Seifer and Quistis's view of the newlyweds.

Finally acknowledging that maybe they shouldn't be this close, the two awkwardly moved apart. What would've happened if they hadn't been interrupted was something they tried to push out of their minds. Quistis didn't look at Seifer and one of his hands went up to run through his hair.

"It's getting late, Seifer," Quistis started. "I should go, as should you. Classes start early tomorrow."

"I know," he grumbled.

"Very well. Good night, Seifer." She turned to leave. If she had bothered to look back one more time, she would've caught his focused stare.

* * *

At 0730 hours, Quistis's ever-so-faithful alarm clock buzzed and made her open her eyes. She sat up and stretched, reaching out to tap on the snooze button. Walking briskly around her dorm, she grabbed her uniform and essential undergarments, then locked herself inside the bathroom to take a shower.

By the time she came back out, she was in full uniform and her hair was in its usual style, still a little damp. Sitting down at her desk, she opened her black leather briefcase and pulled out some papers. It wouldn't hurt to go over the lesson plans and seating arrangements again to make sure everything was the way it was supposed to be. After a quick scan of her plans for the day, Quistis was satisfied. Since she was teaching the Cadets' first class, it was mandatory for her to introduce them to the basic rules of Garden, ways to hand in assignments and the like, which meant one less _"Basics of Junctioning"_ class for the whole duration of the course. She hoped her students wouldn't fall behind because of this delay. There was a lot to cover even in a one-hour class.

She switched her attention over to the class list. Over the course of two days, she had learned the first and last names of all her students so that all she had left to do was put faces to the names. A large portion of her youngest students were female, which shouldn't pose too much of a problem. She was mainly worried about the boys in her class, and really hoped they'd at least be more mature than the typical young Cadet at Garden. Most of all, she hoped they wouldn't be as troublesome as Seifer once was.

_Once was? Isn't he still as troublesome as ever?_ Quistis folded her arms and sat back in her armchair. _Well, I suppose he's changed somewhat._ Her thoughts drifted back to the night before and what happened. Well, what almost happened. She bit her lip. _Why didn't I move? Did he even know what he was doing? _She changed the subject. _I hope he does well this year, but the field exam is what I should be worried about._ Quistis checked her clock. 0820 hours – she'd better get going. Collecting all her essential supplies and shutting them into her briefcase, she left her dorm promptly.

On her way to the classroom, she was greeted by a few early risers, to whom she nodded and greeted. Arriving at the classroom, she opened the door with her key card and stepped inside. She sat down at her desk and arranged everything to her liking. Sitting back, she let the feeling of nostalgia wash over her. So long. It had been so long since she had last taught. All the missions she went on were stimulating in their own ways, but she'd much rather be teaching and doing paperwork. Her head turned quickly to the door when it opened, revealing a blond in a trademark trench coat. She exhaled slowly, wondering why he was here so early, where his Cadet uniform was, and whether or not he remembered (or gave any thought to) what happened last night.

"Good morning, _Instructor_." Seifer strolled into the classroom with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his lips. He didn't wait for a reply and decided to take a seat at the pair of Garden workstations at the very back of the classroom.

Quistis stood up from her desk and walked to the front of the workstation, gently leaning her body on the smooth edge. "Hello, Seifer. I see you've come to class twenty minutes early. That's very unlike you."

"Would you prefer that I be late, Instructor?" His eyes darted up and down her form, but their movements were so quick, they went unseen.

_I don't need this. Not this early in the morning,_ Quistis thought. "That's not the point, Seifer. But if you have nothing else to do, then by all means, you may show up for class however early you'd like."

Sitting back in his chair, Seifer sneered. "Whatever you say, Instructor."

_He hasn't been in here for a full five minutes and already I'm starting to want medication for my inevitable headaches._ She resisted the urge to place a hand on her head.

Her prayers were answered when other students started filing into the classroom. Quistis's head turned to look at them and she felt a little self-conscious when they stopped in their tracks. At first, she thought it was because there was something wrong with the way she regarded them, but then she realized she had seen those expressions before. Right then, she was witnessing the birth of a whole new troop of Trepies. Maybe those prayers weren't answered after all.

A majority of the students that entered within the last three seconds were male, which explains the new 'Trepie look' plastered to their faces. Nearly every one of them sat in the second or third row, and a few that were more daring took seats at the front. Quistis felt slightly grateful for the required seating plan.

The Garden bell rang at precisely 0900 hours, signalling the beginning of the first class. Quistis stood in the front and began. "Good morning, class. Welcome to the first day of your SeeD training. Before we begin, I would like to have you cooperate with the assigned seating arrangement imposed by Garden. Please stand and line up by the wall at the back of the classroom." Everyone obeyed, and even Seifer did what he was told. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all_, she thought.

"When you hear your name, please take a seat at the workstation starting from the back of the room." She looked down at her list. "Ferris Abram." An average-sized boy went to take the correct seat, and Quistis tried to memorize his face. "Maxwell Ainsworth." Maxwell took a seat beside Ferris. Quistis didn't quite know what to expect from this next name. "Talman Aki." A boy near his late teens wearing a pair of stylish glasses with rectangular lenses pushed himself off the wall and sauntered to his seat in a laidback manner. As he sat down, he pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose and looked at the Instructor with a small smirk. At that moment, the resemblance between him and another well-known man in the room was greatly noticeable.

_Oh, Hyne, not another one . . ._ Quistis gave the boy a small smile, hiding the disturbance she felt. She went on, somewhat hesitant. "Seifer Almasy." Murmurs went about the room but were shushed as soon as Quistis put a finger to her lips. Surprisingly obedient, Seifer took his seat beside Talman. The two completely ignored each other. Noticing the dynamic between the two, Quistis took a shaky breath and continued calling out names with great accuracy in pronunciation. It wasn't long before everyone was where they were supposed to be.

"Since today is your first lesson in Balamb Garden, there are a few things I'll need to explain to you, and it _will_ take the next hour to explain it all. Please leave all questions until the very end." She walked down the aisle separating the class into halves and continued. "To begin, you will address me as Instructor or Instructor Trepe and those titles only. All superior officers and staff members must be treated with the same respect.

"Balamb Garden is a military academy, where those who want to become mercenaries or those who have been nominated for this type of occupation are educated. Here, you will be trained in the areas of physical combat, utilization of magic, weapon maintenance and usage, civil conduct, etc. All graduates of this institution are referred to as SeeDs. One thing I want to make very clear is that _this is not a game_. If you're here for fun, then you shouldn't be here. Is that understood?" Her voice had a definite edge of authority and most students in the class nodded, some more vigorously than others.

"Good. I'm sure you've gone through the rules of Garden in your handbook, but if you haven't, I don't think you're taking this seriously enough. Nevertheless, I'll elaborate on the rules. First off, there is . . . "

* * *

Not even fifteen minutes into class and already Seifer was growing restless. He had gone through this numerous times before and he had hated it every single time. Maybe that was why he was on the Disciplinary Committee. Hearing all these rules over and over again was bound to make a man remember them. He glanced around the room, watching all the new male Trepies practically drooling over the Instructor.

He scowled and looked to his right, where Talman was seated beside the aisle. Seifer hated these workstations. Sometimes, people would sit too far to his side of the bench, invading his personal space. But it looked like Talman won't be moving anywhere near him any time soon. He watched as the teen next to him ran a hand through a head of coffee-brown hair. Talman suddenly looked at him and said, "What are you staring at?"

Seifer snorted in response. "Nothing, that's for sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

Talman adjusted his glasses. "Just because you were a Sorceress's Knight doesn't mean you're all-powerful, you know."

"Oh, look!" Seifer feigned surprise. "The boy knows who I am! What a _smart_ cookie."

"Are you mocking me, Almasy? Do you know who _I_ am?" Talman crossed his arms and leaned back, answering his own question quickly. "I'll have you know that I'm Instructor Hadrian Aki's one and only son." He said it proudly and looked down at him. Seifer wondered if he was really like this all the time. Maybe this kid tries too hard.

"Do I look like I actually _care_?" Seifer raised an eyebrow. He could probably scare the wits out of this one within a week or two. Even his last comment seemed to shut the boy up as Talman shifted his eyes to the talking Instructor near the front of the classroom.

"Quite easy on the eyes, our Instructor Trepe," he commented. Seifer rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"

"You do know that you're not supposed to talk while _she's_ talking, right?"

"Then you're breaking the rules, too. Why are _you_, of all people, talking to me about rules? I hear from dad that you used to defy them all the time."

"I was on the Disciplinary Committee, _kid_. Had to break some rules to enforce them."

"I'm no kid, Almasy. I'm seventeen, but whatever. You're just trying to protect yourself."

"Sure, but unlike you, I don't _need_ to try."

"You dodged my question earlier."

"You're trying to change the subject now, aren't you? What's wrong, Aki, can't take the truth?"

"At least I'm not a lap—" Before one of Seifer's most hated words in the world could fall from Talman's lips, Quistis's voice intruded. _She's stealthier than I remember_, Seifer thought.

"Would you like to share your debate with the rest of the class, gentlemen?" Her arms were crossed and she looked down at them with an undefined expression. Quistis's glasses reflected the glow from the light fixtures on the ceiling.

"No, Instructor. We're fine," Talman answered, briefly glancing at her chest. Seifer caught the act and clenched a fist slowly.

"This is no place for banter, Mr. Aki. The information is for your own good, so I suggest you listen. If anything, this would certainly enhance your listening skills."

"Yes, Instructor," Talman answered, slightly embarrassed. Seifer snickered.

"This applies to you, too, Mr. Almasy." She tapped his clenched fist twice and added, "If you're more relaxed, things will go much faster." Quistis lifted her head to face the class again and started going over the functions of the workstations, walking away from the two boys all the while.

_Time to go in for the kill._

"Did you see that, Aki? She touched my hand. She obviously likes me more. You don't stand a chance."

Talman snarled and stared angrily at the dim screen of his workstation.


	9. Runaway Train

**Chapter IX - Runaway Train**

_One can choose to run along the track . . . _

_But the train of chance stops for no one . . ._

_All because of one judgment._

* * *

Quistis's throat felt dry. It has been quite a while since she talked this much. She managed to finish her overview of Garden's code of behavior (plus many other sections in the manual) all in one session with approximately three minutes to spare. A year ago, she would've had to take one class and a half to explain it all. Maybe she was getting better. It was that or she left something out, and she was sure she didn't.

"I'll take any questions you may have at this point," she ended. A boy's hand in the front row shot up right away. "Yes, Aidan?" Upon seeing the smile on the boy's when she remembered his name, Quistis silently congratulated herself on her quick memory work.

"How old are you, Instructor Trepe?" The boldness of the boy was admirable. The question was off-topic, but it would be impolite not to answer.

"I'm nineteen." Mumbles of awe went about the room.

The student sitting beside Aidan raised his hand, and Quistis nodded at him. "Are you single, Instructor Trepe?" Other questions abounded.

"Where's your dorm, Instructor Trepe?"

"Instructor, may I buy you lunch?"

"When's your birthday, Instructor?"

She spoke in a tolerant tone, "Class, I meant questions about Garden, not about me." The Garden bell tolled and signaled the end of class. _I shouldn't have indulged them in the first place._ "I'll see you again for our classes this afternoon. You are dismissed." But not everyone filed out of the room. Quistis wasn't surprised when Seifer lagged behind a little and came up to speak to her.

"Great way to start the day, Instructor. Bore everyone to death."

"An overview of Garden protocol is a prerequisite, Seifer. I don't think I bored them. I saw that most of them were listening quite intently," she pointed out. "But I noticed you weren't. You seemed a little tense when I interrupted your conversation with Talman. Was something the matter?"

"Something the matter, you say? Of course not," he mocked her formal speech. Seifer placed a gloved hand on his chest as if he had just had a wonderful experience. "That Aki is _such_ a delightful little boy."

She replied with an equal amount of sarcasm. "I'm glad to see that you two get along, but the point is, everyone _else_ paid attention." Quistis wished he'd listen. This was his last chance to become a SeeD and she will not let him fail again.

"Instructor, when will you learn? Just because they're looking at you doesn't mean they're listening. Hyne, I can just see those annual Trepie sign-up sheets plastered all over Garden walls already," he commented.

Having never heard of this before, she started. "What are you talking about? Never in my stay at Garden have I ever seen this so-called 'sign-up sheet'."

"That's because they get taken down before you can even lay your eyes on them. At least I can proudly say that back then, the Disciplinary Committee did their job."

"You're telling me that you're the one who has been responsible for removing them?" She raised an eyebrow as Seifer folded his arms arrogantly.

"Who else could it have been, my dear Instructor? I was merely trying to enforce some rules. Even though littering is only a minor offense in Garden, it's still an offense. _Some_one's got to teach those kids."

"But you said they were put up on walls. That's not classified as littering."

"Well, my definition of litter is 'useless junk I don't like seeing', and in my honest opinion, those things are an eye-sore."

"That's nice, Seifer," she said, not really meaning it and not really caring, although she had to wonder why he despised the Trepies so much. "Shouldn't you be hurrying along to your next class?"

"Relax, Instructor. I've got at least three more minutes. What's the rush?" Quistis only stared at him with a blank expression, which made him roll his eyes. "_Fine_." As if afraid, the automatic classroom door slid aside as he stepped within two feet of it and just like that, he left the classroom.

Quistis suppressed a smile when she heard a familiar grunt and the tearing of paper before the door closed itself again.

* * *

The sound of crumpling paper was extremely pleasing. _Those Trepies never quit._ Seifer threw the trash into a nearby wastebasket with perfect aim and went on his way to his second class. Seifer noticed the Trepie sign-up sheets got fancier every passing year. He wondered if they receive any funding. It was sickening, the way they worship her. Seifer's face turned into a scowl that didn't disappear until he sat down in his assigned spot in his second class. He hated having to be present for all these classes, especially since he already took them at least three times. Why couldn't Cid just let him take the field exam and get it over with? It _might_ help to learn this over again, since some of it was forgotten, or he never bothered to pay attention. But he'd show them all; he'd show them that he too could become a SeeD just as easily as the best soldier can, and then, maybe Quistis would be proud of him.

_Where did that come from?_ These involuntary thoughts he's been having about his Instructor lately were confusing him. Seifer thought of the night before, their dance on the balcony. He never knew his Instructor could dance so well. Having her in his arms was indescribable. Try as he might, Seifer couldn't understand or forget how he felt. But somehow, he knew for certain that for those brief moments that they were so close together, he felt happy. Suddenly, it dawned on him.

He had almost kissed her.

He had never kissed anyone before. Back in the days before the War, he had had no time for romance. His high standards for himself when it came to personal training and the responsibilities that came hand-in-hand with being the head of the Disciplinary Committee ate up most of his time. Not to mention the minutes he spent teasing Puberty Boy and Chicken-wuss.

Silently scolding himself, he wondered what made him almost do it, then he remembered: it was her eyes. The way she looked at him then, with such sorrow. On top of that, she was also panting slightly. _How dare you even THINK you like her that way?_ He didn't understand why it had to be her. It could've been anyone, but Quistis? Though Seifer would never admit to anyone that he has daydreams of his Instructor Trepe (his?) every once in a while – no, often. Visions and fantasies where she would call out his name over and over with such meaning, and right then, he could've sworn someone was really calling his name.

"Seifer Almasy, you're not listening to me!" a masculine voice growled, and Seifer looked up to see Instructor Brahne towering over him with her arms crossed. "You are not paying attention, so I assume you must know everything."

"That's a very flattering assumption, Instructor Brahne," he replied arrogantly.

Enraged by his attitude, she started, "Let me ask you again, _Cadet_. Name the six elements most commonly used on the battlefield for offense."

Seifer heaved an annoyed sigh, which upset the teacher even more, and answered smoothly. "Fire, Ice, Thunder, Water, Wind, and Poison." He must've given the correct solution, because all Instructor Brahne did was give a grunt as she walked back to the front of the room. She never bothered him in class again.

* * *

A week had already gone by and there was Seifer, sitting in Instructor Trepe's _"Mission Etiquette__"_ class, the last class before the weekend. He glanced at the clock on the classroom wall, too bored to listen to what Quistis was saying_._ The curriculum hadn't changed. Courtesy, respect, graciousness, civility . . . it was always the same old stuff. Suddenly, his ears picked up the words 'field trip'. He paid a little more attention now as he stared at his Instructor's moving lips, explaining the purpose of the trip to everyone.

"Many missions, especially ones that involve the avoidance of assassination attempts, will require you to dine with important political figures. It is important to note that one's table manners must be exceptional in order to maintain an air of professionalism," Quistis elaborated while a few students snickered quietly, somehow finding this reason droll. "The Headmaster has approved of this trip and tonight, I will be going to a restaurant in Dollet to reserve a time for our class for Monday evening. However, if the reservations cannot be made, we'll have no choice but to do this in the Garden cafeteria. This particular lesson cannot be postponed due to the fact that dining etiquette should be covered before the rest of the course, such that everything else can be taught in a logical fashion. We will be referring back to it often, believe it or not, because it is usually during meal times that people let down their guard. We will be having an actual dinner for practice, so it would be wise not to consume anything before then." Quistis clasped her hands together. "Any questions before the bell rings?" A hand was raised. "Yes, Mariah?"

"Instructor Trepe, how much Gil do we have to bring for the meal?" the timid girl asked.

"No Gil necessary. All expenses will be paid by Garden." Quistis watched as Mariah breathed a sigh of relief, understanding sadly that not all students at Garden are as well off as most outsiders would think. No more hands came up as the bell came and went. "You are dismissed. Enjoy your weekend."

Everyone gathered their belongings and trotted out of the classroom, Quistis included, with Seifer close behind. When all the other students dispersed, Seifer asked, "Are you leaving for Dollet right away?"

"I'll be leaving soon." Quistis was taken aback. His voice seemed to have lost its usual travesty. "Why do you ask?"

"Can I come?"

"Why?"

"Because I have nothing better to do, and would it hurt for a student to spend some quality time with his _dear_ Instructor?" Whatever travesty he first lacked was apparently stuffed into that last comment. "Plus, I'd like to find out where the class is going and what to expect beforehand."

"If you really want to come, meet me in the Parking Lot at sixteen-hundred and be punctual. Keep in mind we probably won't get back until late this evening."

"Fine by me. Later, Instructor."

* * *

Driving on the new underwater roadway connecting Balamb to Dollet and Timber had never been so long. Self-control was the only thing that kept Quistis from slamming on the brakes and pushing Seifer out of the car window. _If that big head of his can fit through._

"C'mon, Instructor! Eighty miles per hour! Even Matron drives faster than that."

"How many more times do I have to tell you? The law and I prefer that people drive the speed limit." Her grip tightened on the steering wheel slightly, wishing it were his neck. "And for your information, Matron does not drive."

"Would it kill you to drive a _little_ faster?"

"It'll kill _one_ of us," Quistis thought aloud.

"Funny, Instructor. Funny."

"You know, I don't even know _what_ I was thinking when I gave you permission to come with me." She did a quick shoulder-check, signaled, and changed lanes.

"Because I'm your favorite student, Instructor." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him grin. "And my irresistible charms."

"Oh, your charms. Right. I've completely forgotten about _those_."

Seifer caught her rolling her eyes. "No, no, Instructor, you mustn't do that. Keep your eyes on the _road_. I want to get back to Garden alive."

"So now _you_ are giving _me_ driving tips?"

"Yeah, that's right." Arrogance came out of his mouth and made itself home in the small rented vehicle.

"Keep up that talking of yours and one of us will be forced to stay at a hotel in Dollet tonight." She really hoped that would happen, because then she would have such a pleasant and peaceful drive home . . .

Even though he wore his seatbelt, Seifer managed to move closer to her, almost speaking into her ear with his playful words. "Why don't we _both_ stay at a hotel in Dollet tonight?"

The mischievous quality of it all made Quistis bite her lower lip, suppressing something. _You should be upset. Outraged. In no way is this humorous. Don't smile, don't smile, don't—_

Seifer saw the corners of her lips moving upward. He slowly slid an arm across her waist. "I take that as a positive reaction to my suggestion. Now, why don't we—"

"Seifer!" she interrupted harshly. Taking a hand off the steering wheel, she removed his arm from her stomach, wordlessly denying the warmth of his touch. "I only thought it was a comical reply. I did not say I was keen on your 'suggestion', which, Mr. Almasy, was quite inappropriate. Then again, if it wasn't improper, it wouldn't be you."

The blond man let his arm fall back onto his lap. "Instructor, you know me _so _well." There was that sarcasm again. She must've imagined the hint of disappointment she heard.

The vehicle bounced a bit as it ran over a set of train tracks. They were within Dollet's city limits.

"Why couldn't you just phone the place, Trepe? It would've saved us a lot of time."

"You mean it would've saved _me_ a lot of time. You didn't have to come." Reminded of time, Quistis checked the clock in the car, which read 1745 hours.

"Yeah, well, too late."

She sighed. "There are specific demands I need to make with the restaurant manager if the reservations can be made. It's much more convenient and easier to understand if I do it in person."

"So, it's some kind of fancy place only rich bastards go to?"

"That's the best setting for the lesson, yes. Who else can afford to hire SeeDs to protect them for all hours of the day?" Quistis turned the steering wheel to the right, rounding a corner. "Not many people at Garden have ever gone to places like these outside of a mission," she said, remembering Mariah's question from earlier. Quistis turned again and settled the car into a parking space. The pair unbuckled their seatbelts and headed for the restaurant entrance. Upon entry, however, they found themselves covered with confetti and crêpe paper that appeared out of nowhere.

"Congratulations!" a cheery waiter exclaimed. "You two are the ten-thousandth set of guests the Golden Torama has served! Here's your prize!" A nearby waitress handed Seifer a small piece of paper, which he observed and scowled at respectively.

Quistis was a tad embarrassed. "But you haven't served us ye—"

"Oh, but we _will_, won't we?" The eager waiter winked at them.

"We're here to make a reservation, if that counts."

"Oh! Even better! Please tell us the date and time and we'll make _sure_ you get what you need!"

"It's a very special case, as a matter of fact. If it's not too much trouble, I would like to speak to your manager personally."

"Oh! It's a wedding, isn't it! Congratulations to the two of you!" He took Quistis's hand in one of his and Seifer's in the other and shook them.

How Quistis wanted to scratch away the smirk on Seifer's face. "No, sir, we are not getting married. Now, about your manager—"

"Oh, yes, yes! Have a seat and make yourselves comfortable while we summon him. It shouldn't be too long!" Quistis and Seifer sat down slowly on the satin seats in the waiting area and, well, waited.

Seifer began, "A little over-enthusiastic, wouldn't you say? The help seems a bit too brash for a high-end watering hole," he commented while looking around, unimpressed with the decor and lighting.

"Most new employees are, I suppose." Quistis brushed away some wayward lint that had clung to the lapel of her uniform and crossed her legs, her skirt riding up the tiniest bit. Seifer stole a glimpse at the part of her thigh that became exposed. _Big mistake_, he thought as he swallowed hard. He placed his eyes elsewhere.

"How do you know he's new?" he said, trying to keep the conversation alive and get the image of her legs out of his mind.

She answered as if it were obvious, "Observation, Seifer. Notice that his nametag is just a slip of paper in a plastic cover. All the others' have gold nameplates with their names engraved on them. Does that give you a hint?"

Seifer snorted. "Even outside of class, you lecture to all hell. I wonder what you're like when you're asleep." His last sentence sounded too sincere to his own ears for his liking, and he hoped that Quistis wouldn't pick up on it.

Ignoring his comment, she said, "Don't snort in a lavish location, Seifer. Have you learned nothing in my class?"

"I've learned _loads_, Instructor. I just don't feel like applying myself right now." Before Quistis could say anything more, the manager came into view.

"Here he comes," she whispered. "Either act normal or keep your mouth shut."

"Good evening and welcome to the Golden Torama." The manager shook both of their hands one after the other warmly. He was a fine man in his late thirties. Taking a look at Seifer, he recognized him as the Sorceress's Knight, but for the sake of business, he smiled generously. Seifer decided to follow his Instructor's orders for once and stayed quiet, but he unconsciously clenched his jaw when the manager gave Quistis a quick visual once-over. The manager meant no harm as he was taking note of her uniform, but Seifer didn't care. "A SeeD? All the way from Balamb, I assume." Quistis nodded. "It's an honor to meet you both. May I have your names, please?"

"Quistis Trepe and Seifer Almasy," she answered for the two of them.

"I see. And how may I be of help?"

"Instructors at Balamb Garden are required to teach an etiquette course to our Cadets. I was wondering if we could make use of your restaurant for one evening in order to cover a particular topic."

"Of course, of course." The manager seemed happy to comply. "So, you are an Instructor at Balamb Garden, and he is . . . ?" He was clearly trying to get a straight answer as to why the ex-knight was in his restaurant.

"My student."

"I see. Well, let's get started. For what time would you like a table, and how big will your party be?"

"Preferably Monday evening at approximately six in the evening. There are a total of fifteen in the party, including myself."

"Very well. Would you like to specify an ideal location or arrangement of the table?"

"Somewhere secluded, so we won't bother the rest of the diners. As for the table, it would be very nice if it can be set up in such a way that all the students can see and hear me . . . "

* * *

"I can't believe it took you _that_ long just to make _one_ reservation!" Seifer exclaimed as they sauntered out of the Golden Torama.

"You got a complimentary dinner out of it, so I wouldn't complain," Quistis pointed out. "Now you can go without cafeteria food for the remainder of the night."

"I would've enjoyed my meal more if I didn't have people staring at me every other minute."

"It's kind of hard not to notice you, Seifer." There was a thick silence that hung about them as they strode towards the vehicle. Suddenly, Seifer stopped.

"Instructor, weren't you ashamed at all?" He felt he really needed to ask, for his sake and hers.

"Ashamed of what?"

"Being seen with me."

"Why should I be?"

"Maybe the word 'traitor' rings a bell, my dear Instructor. Besides, wouldn't it absolutely _destroy_ your perfect reputation?"

For the first time in his life, Seifer Almasy heard Quistis scoff. "Reputation? I don't have much of one."

"Then are you saying that the Trepies are just a figment of my imagination?"

"No, I'm not saying that. What do they have to do with this?"

"Those morons have everything to do with this," Seifer muttered angrily. Why was he so emotional tonight?

"I'm sorry, Seifer. I didn't catch what you said."

He spoke louder this time. "I asked if I could drive back, Instructor. I need to let off some steam."

"But doing so through driving isn't such a good id—"

"I won't kill you, Trepe, if that's what you're worried about. If I did, then the Trepies would return the favor, and honestly, they're worse than Bite Bugs. Let me drive."

Quistis closed her eyes and shook her head. "All right, then."

"Aren't people supposed to _nod_ when they say yes to something?"

"For Hyne's sake, just get in the car and drive!" He loved to frustrate her so. By the agitated look on Quistis's face, Seifer could tell he'd won that round. He liked it when he won. Finally getting into the car, he started it and backed out of the parking lot. Quistis smoothed the wrinkles on her skirt. "Why are you so anxious to drive anyway?" She crossed her arms and looked sideways at him.

"You drove already, it's my turn."

The way the statement was phrased sounded so childlike to her. "You and your juvenile behavior . . ."

"You like it, Trepe, admit it."

"The only thing I'll admit is that your driving actually isn't too miserable."

"What's this, a compliment? This is more rare than a day when Chicken-wuss gets his hot dogs. Where is my tape recorder when I need it?"

"You don't have a tape recorder, Seifer."

"Says you, Instructor. How would you know?"

"I just know these things."

"So you admit it!"

She was confounded. "Admit what?"

"That you stalk me. How else would you know whether or not I have a tape recorder?" His eyes, still on the road, lit up with a playful light and his smirk roused even more aggravation from within her.

"Excuse me! I do not _stalk_!"

"I guess you're right. There's no need to stalk me when you _dream_ about me, is there?"

Quistis couldn't lie. She _did_ dream about him . . . sometimes. But he didn't need to know. Anything more that would feed his growing conceit should not be said. "Hyne, why do I even bother with you?"

"Because I'm your favorite student," Seifer quoted himself from earlier that day. "And my irre—"

"—sistable charms, yes, I get the point." Quistis sighed and checked the speedometer to make sure he wasn't driving at an illegal speed. He was a little over the limit, but she decided not to nag him about it for fear that it would start another argument, especially since they were both quiet now. She looked out the window and noticed they still weren't out of Dollet yet.

It was going to be a long journey home, she knew.

Sitting back in her seat, she glanced at the meters once more and saw an unsatisfactory sight. "Seifer, pull over at a station and get some fuel," she ordered.

"Fuel?" He sneered. "What do we need fuel for?"

"So the car will run, you inept fool."

"That wasn't very nice, Instructor, calling me names. Relax, we still have half a tank full."

"You don't understand. The fuel—"

"My judgment tells me there's enough to make it back to Garden. Loosen up."

Quistis was too tired to sighed once more as she watched the skyline of Dollet finally beginning to disappear in the dim reflections on the window.

* * *

"Look at you. You're gripping the steering wheel improperly," Quistis complained beside him. "Move your hands up a bit." Hyne, this woman was driving him insane. No pun intended.

"Trepe, be quiet and let me drive in peace."

"Why should I? _You_ certainly didn't do the same for me when I asked you _nicely_. What goes around comes around, Seifer."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He caught a glare from her. "What, do you want me to _crash_ this thing? Because you know I will if I have to."

"Allow me to kindly remind you that you are still on probation."

"That's only on Garden grounds."

"What you are driving now, Mr. Almasy, is Garden property. If I were you, I would treat it with caution."

Seifer weighed the pros and cons in his head. Crash the vehicle and get expelled (but finally shut the Instructor up) or keep driving and have his ears scolded off. Either way, it was a lose-lose scenario. Aside from that, there was really nothing around he could crash into, and if the impact doesn't at least make the Instructor unconscious, then he gets a three-day admission to Lecture Land, guaranteed.

Seifer noticed he hadn't said anything for a full five minutes while he was contemplating. He then realized that if he didn't talk, then maybe she wouldn't talk either. But the absence of her voice made the atmosphere a little uneasy.

By the time the car was halfway to Timber, the sun had already set. The headlights on the car were functioning but they weren't bright enough. As he checked around the steering wheel for some type of miracle switch that would magically make everything better, he found something he didn't want to see and instantly cursed.

"Seifer?" Quistis's voice cut through the darkness in the car and reminded Seifer that she was there with him.

He replied, "Nothing."

"I wouldn't call a sudden burst of blasphemy nothing." She shifted in her seat next to him. "What's the matter?"

He didn't want to admit it but he was . . . wrong. "We're, uh, out of gas." _Almost. There__'s a bit more left._

"I t—"

"Don't even say it, Trepe." If he had seen the smile of triumph on her face, he would've exploded. He didn't know what to do, so he kept driving. But it was only a matter of time before he had to ask. "So, what do we do now?"

"You mean what do _you_ do now. It's not my problem."

"Technically, it is. You're in this with me." When she didn't retort, he said, "Well, what should _I_ do with my 'problem' then?"

"Fix it."

Why did she have to be so bitchy at a time like this? He really wanted to strangle her right about now, but 'now' was not a good time. Not when the car suddenly came to an almost deafening halt (and Seifer could swear he heard a weird 'click!' sound). It felt all too familiar and Seifer wished he had taken a different route to avoid this track.

Two years ago, he took a Garden vehicle and went out on a drive past curfew. That night, he had gotten stuck on a set of train tracks, but he had managed to escape with both him and the car in one piece before he was in any real danger. Now, he was experiencing an immensely displeasing feeling of déjà vu. This time is not all that different, right? He could get out of this jam as easily as he once did those two years ago.

If he had fuel to move the car, yes.

Seifer sensed that Quistis probably figured out what had happened. He let out a colorful stream of curses over and over.

"If enormous amounts of profanity can move the car, then by all means, Seifer, keep it up."

Seifer irritably snarled in response. He stepped out of the car and Quistis followed. They exchanged no words and began to push the car with all their might. As luck would have it, the car was stubborn and seemed to enjoy sitting on the train tracks.

"I don't think it'll budge, Seifer. I heard something click beneath the car when we stopped," Quistis explained, "Some part or mechanism must have latched onto the tracks."

_Oh, so it wasn__'t just me who heard it. That__'s a good sign. I think._ Seifer kicked the automobile out of exasperation and it left a medium-sized dent. Swearing again, he realized maybe he shouldn't have done that.

Upon hearing his dissatisfaction, Quistis calmly said, "It's all right, Seifer. This car is as good as dead. A few more dents won't change anything."

"How do _you_ know we won't get this thing out?"

Quistis shook her head in disappointment. "Tell me you're not going deaf." Deaf? Why would he be going deaf? Seifer listened and heard nothing.

Nothing but the train whistle that sounded from somewhere on his left.

Out of the blue, Seifer screamed, disquieting the Instructor. "WHY! Why do these things _happen_ to me!" The ground quickly became as shaky as his entire mercenary career.

"Seifer, this would be a great time to start walking away from the tracks."

"Thank you, Instructor, for stating the obvious!" Walking away was really the only option. Forget walking. The train was coming closer and closer. Even idiots would run at a time like this. _Well, maybe not Chicken-wuss._

"Seifer, stop!" Quistis's commanding tone stopped him cold. He was already rather far away from her.

"What! I'm trying to save my life here and you're telling me to _stop_!"

"You're running the wrong way!"

"Well, where _should_ I run! Does it matter!"

"It matters a lot more than you think it does! You run _towards_ the train where it's safest because the train will block you from most of the debris that might come flying your way and _kill_ you while you're trying to save yourself!"

_Oh, right. Where have I heard that before?_

_In one of her classes, Almasy._

_Right._

Jogging at a relatively high speed towards his Instructor, Seifer felt the burnished train rumbling the grassland beneath him, creating uneven ripples in Obel Lake nearby. The pungent screech of the train's ignorant whistle was piercing his eardrums, making his head spin. He almost stumbled. Concentrating, he compellingly sprinted, diminishing the remaining few yards of open space between him and his Instructor. He could see the sleek forest-green body of the train now, with its blurry strips of red, green and gold. The thunderous reverberation of the train's wheels echoed through the plains and it reminded him of Ifrit's growl.

"Seifer, get down! _Now_!"

Not needing to be told twice, he landed on his stomach beside Quistis, impulsively putting an arm over her back to shield her from anything that could harm them. Turning his head, he stared at the scene unfolding before him. The runaway train seemed to be chortling at them as it dashed to impact. With a vociferous roar rivaling that of the healthiest T-Rexaurs, their ticket home smashed into innumerable pieces, igniting sparks that lit up the night sky.


	10. Mega Flare

**Chapter ****X**** - Mega Flare**

_When those conceited meet and clash . . .  
_

_Tempers flare and turn to ash . . ._

_All because of one contact._

* * *

After speaking with the train conductor and apologizing profusely for involuntarily placing their rented car on the tracks, Quistis watched as the unscathed train went on its way. Amazingly, the impact was so great, everything blasted out of the train's path, so there was no clean-up crew required at the scene in order for the train to continue its journey. The train conductor assured her that someone would come by and tidy up the mess the following morning. It sounded unbelievable, but Quistis would rather believe it. Unfortunately, they did not have train tickets, thus the train conductor could not give them a ride.

Seifer, who had been pretty silent throughout most of the ordeal, was more than a little amused. This small delay in their return trip could possibly mean more adventures and more time with his dear Instructor. He didn't mind that at all. He heard Quistis mutter something under her breath. "What's that, Trepe? I can't hear you."

Quistis threw her hands up in the air. "'What do we need fuel for', you said! I think _someone__'s_ judgment needs a serious upgrade! If you had listened to me in the first place, this would not have happened."

"Relax, Instructor. It's not like we're going to die out here," Seifer stated as he walked beside her.

"I certainly wouldn't mind if one of us does. Either way, I wouldn't have to put up with you and your antics any longer."

Seifer continued teasing her. "Come now, Instructor. You don't mean that, do you? You can't tell me you've never laughed at any of my 'antics', because I know you have."

She ignored him. "You know, Seifer, I've been quite tired lately, both mentally and physically, many thanks to you and Talman. I don't know what to do with you two. And to think I believed I could give myself a good night's rest when I got back. It is highly doubtful we'll be even _be_ back tonight if we have to walk this far."

"You don't _have_ to walk." He stepped closer to her when she suddenly stopped and stood still. _She__'s actually going to stop walking?_

"All right, so I don't _have_ to. So how will I get back to Garden? If I don't walk, _then_ what happens?"

Seifer smirked. She was clearly trying to prove a point. He wouldn't let her. "Then I get to carry you." Her protests were cut short as Seifer literally swept her off her feet and began, once again, trotting across Lanker Plains toward the dimly lit town of Timber. One of his arms went under her knees and the other supported her back. He would enjoy it so much more if she would stop squirming and fuming.

"Seifer Almasy, _what_ do you think you're doing! Put me down at once!"

"What does it look like? I'm doing your walking for you. My dear Instructor, you work too hard. Maybe you should let others take care of things every once in a while." Something he said must have gotten through to her, for she remained silent as he kept walking, but Seifer knew she wouldn't be quiet for long.

Quistis crossed her arms. "Seifer, where are we going?"

"We're going to Timber to catch the next train back to Balamb so we don't have to walk the whole way. I'm surprised you didn't think of that sooner, Instructor."

"I did think of it, but I neglected to bring travel expenses. I brought some, but not enough to cover a train ticket, so—"

"My treat."

The Instructor looked at him. "Do you always carry that much Gil around?"

"Habit. Besides, too much Gil is never a problem if an emergency arises; something like this." He saw her arch an eyebrow.

"I'm impressed, Seifer. You were actually planning ahead?"

"Of course," he replied smugly. Little did she know it was really _just _habit and nothing else, but since the Instructor was impressed for once, he didn't want to ruin it. He didn't know why making an impression on her was such a big deal. He adjusted her weight and kept walking. "Hyne, Trepe, do you know what would be really nice?"

Her reply came out in an obviously uninterested monotone. "No, Seifer, what?"

"If you lost a few pounds in the next few seconds."

"Am I too heavy for you? I am sorry." Seifer rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. "You can always put me down."

"No," he answered defiantly. "I like having a woman in my arms." Looking down on her form, he winked.

"Whatever you say, _Irvine_." Great. Now he reminded her of that flirtatious cowboy.

"Irvine? I'm not Irvine. Great Hyne, Instructor." He bent his head down closer to hers and looked into her eyes. "We haven't even spent the night together and already you've forgotten my name? That's not very polite." He shook his head as if he was ashamed of her behavior. Seifer thought he saw her blush, but it was dark and the only thing that provided any light at all was the waning crescent in the sky.

"Seifer, please move your eyes back to where they're supposed to be, because if you trip on something and I die, it will be _your_ fault."

The retorts stopped momentarily when they reached the small town of Timber, where Quistis practically jumped out of his arms and into the train station. Seifer shrugged to himself and followed suit. They walked up to a booth to purchase their tickets. Quistis stood a little behind Seifer, wordlessly allowing him to take care of the costs.

"Good evening, sir," the uniformed teenager at the small booth greeted. Peering behind the tall blond to see if there was anyone else with him, he spotted Quistis. Seifer didn't like the Trepie look in the boy's eyes. "And good evening to _you_, Miss." Quistis only smiled weakly and nodded. The smile dwindled even more when Seifer snaked his arm around her waist, a possessive gesture for which Quistis wanted to give him detention. Seifer asked for two tickets, paid, and led Quistis towards the platform where the train to Balamb Town was ready and waiting, but not before shooting the young man a look that plainly said, "_She__'s out of your league._"

After the train departed from the station, Quistis and Seifer sat quietly in the SeeD cabin, each thinking about their own problems, occasionally talking to each other when they felt like it.

"Seifer, don't you have homework you should be doing?"

"Yeah, right. As if you assigned any."

Quistis raised an eyebrow. "But I did." Seifer didn't respond and she gave an agitated sigh. "Hyne, don't tell me you weren't listening, Seifer."

"Fine, I'll keep that to myself." He kept his voice low while giving her one of his most sarcastic grins. There was a pause until Quistis crossed her arms and stared at him, seemingly impatient. " . . . what?"

"I'm waiting, Seifer." The indignant tone she used pleased him.

"Waiting for what, Instructor?" he asked, his voice full of pseudo-innocence.

"Waiting for you to ask me about the assignment you didn't hear about so that you can complete it over the weekend and have it on my desk by Monday!" she exclaimed, her voice steadily increasing in pitch as the sentence went on. She had hoped to finally knock some sense into him but all he did was chuckle. "I fail to see the humor in this, Seifer. This is your last chance to become a SeeD, you know that."

All hilarity gradually disappeared from his eyes and they glazed over with an odd emotion Quistis had never seen before. He turned away from her and whispered, "I know."

"If you know, then why do you act like you don't care? Honestly, Seifer." She sighed. "I worry about you."

"I don't need anyone to worry about me, _Trepe_. Maybe you should learn how to take care of yourself first."

"How do you expect me to focus on myself when the people around me need my help?"

"And who said they needed _your_ help?" He looked at her now, angry.

Quistis tried to remain calm. She was, after all, talking to Seifer Almasy, someone that no one in his or her right mind would want to upset. "Seifer . . . it's not like everyone can get by on their own, you know?" Her own words sounded too familiar in her ears.

Scoffing, he added bitterly, "Then they'll just _have_ to. In a world like this, all anyone can depend on are themselves. They may as well learn now while they still can."

She gave up and there was silence again. There was no way she could get through that thick skull of his. Not now, in her particularly exhausted state. Her uncontrollable yawning caught Seifer's attention.

"Tired, Instructor?" His question was cold, much like the temperature of the cabin. Or maybe Quistis was imagining it. Not wanting to spare the energy to speak, she admitted defeat with a nod and drooping eyelids. "Go to sleep. It'll be a good hour before we get to our stop." The train ran over a wobbly part of the tracks and Seifer suddenly felt a light weight on his arm.

It seemed Quistis had taken up his suggestion and was already sleeping soundly, using his arm as a pillow. _This is just great,_ he told himself._ Now you can__'t move because you__'ll wake her up, and if you wake her up, she__'ll be furious._ If he was going to be sitting like this for the rest of the trip, then he wanted to make himself more comfortable. Lady Luck was on his side for once, because the train was evidently going over a bumpy part of the journey. If Quistis woke up while he was adjusting his posture, he could always blame it on the train. Sighing, he shifted himself into a more comfortable position, being as careful as possible. Seifer thought he had everything under control, but when the train jolted severely without warning, Lady Luck disappeared for her coffee break and Quistis's motionless form bounced, slipping off the seat. Swearing, Seifer quickly coiled an arm around her waist and brought her back next to him. He dared himself to look at her and was relieved to find that she was still sleeping. _Hmm, she must be extremely tired,_ he concluded with his arm still around her, holding the Instructor in place. _Basic training should__'ve kicked in and woken her up by now._

Taking a deep breath, Seifer relaxed and looked around the SeeD cabin, trying to find something that will keep himself entertained. There was nothing. The only thing he found was that he couldn't keep his mind off the woman next to him. Alone and lonely, Seifer let his guard down for the moment as he watched her sleep. _She wouldn't be this tired if it weren't for me._ He felt slightly guilty. _Maybe I shouldn't have come with her. Maybe I shouldn't have come back at all._ Tearing his eyes away from her, he thought about what she said.

_"I fail to see the humor in this, Seifer. This is your last chance to become a SeeD, you know that.__"_

Quistis was right. There was nothing funny about any of this. He knew it was his last chance, knew it better than anyone. She knew that he knew. The written exam was not an issue, but the field exam . . . every time he failed it was because he refused to do what he was told, and when he was supposed to lead a team, he made brash decisions.

He understood now, what he did wrong, but never figured out why he did those things. Must be his personality, he supposed. Even as a young child, he possessed a healthy supply of hubris, but what good did that ever do? Sure, it gave him more than enough aspiration to fulfill a childhood dream, but in the end, it was all a lie. He hadn't done it willingly though — not completely anyway — for he was cozened into the whole tale by a simple insult.

That appalling Sorceress had called him a boy.

Ultimecia had been right. Back then, he _had_ been a boy. The way he retorted her criticisms had been immature, he admitted. Thinking back on it now, he couldn't believe himself. If he hadn't taken those comments so personally, he may not have followed her. He would have stayed . . . would have stayed with Quistis when she told him not to leave . . .

.

..

...

_"Such a confused little boy,__" her words mocked him, striking a note of ridicule into his head. __"Are you going to step forward? Retreat? You have to decide.__"_

_Seifer__'s grip on Hyperion tightened. The bizarre woman stood before him, she alone looking more important than the president he still held hostage. But familiar as the woman was, she had no right to talk to him like this. __"Stay back!__" he barked. He was about to continue, but—_

_"Seifer!__"_

_Sensing Quistis__'s presence in the small room, he paused. He knew it was her; there was no need to turn around. He couldn't possibly turn around— _

_With a sly smile, the woman snapped a finger and cast a strong Shell on the unaided Instructor, confining her within an invisible box, nearly immobile. Inside the spell, Quistis__'s words were barely audible: __"Stay where you are, Seifer! Don__'t listen to her!__"_

_Quistis's admonition rushed to his ears, no more than a whisper. The other woman began again._

_"The boy in you is telling you to come. The adult in you is telling you to back off." She laughed at him. "You can't make up your mind. You don't know the right answer. You want help, don't you? You want to be saved from this predicament."_

_"Shut up!" he shouted, grinding his teeth. How was it possible? It was like she read his mind. But_

_"Don__'t be ashamed to ask for help. Besides, you__'re only a little boy.__"_

_"I__'m not . . . stop calling me a boy.__" He had had enough. She was as haughty as he, and she was marring his pride. Not only was she hurting his ego, but she was humiliating him in front of President Deling and Quistis as well. He was no boy. He was manlier than anyone he knew. He wasn__'t a little boy anymore . . . not anymore . . ._

_"You don__'t want to be a boy anymore?__" she spoke, fake sympathy lining the question to which she already knew the answer._

_"I am not a BOY!__" The mind games . . . he wanted her to stop. A Sorceress . . . this woman must be a Sorceress._

_The lady nodded gravely with narrowed eyes. Her voice seemed to pull at his body. __"Come with me to a place of no return. Bid farewell to your childhood.__" Their eyes made contact and Seifer__'s anger gave way to fear for a fraction of a second. Her cold, greenish-gold eyes beckoned him. Seifer, frustrated, released the president, who scampered away like a scared puppy._

_No. He won__'t run away. He__'d prove he wasn__'t a child. To become a Sorceress__'s Knight . . . wasn__'t that his romantic dream?_

_Romantic dream . . ._

_He fought the incredible urge to look back upon his Instructor. Stepping towards the woman, he saw her smile wickedly. With every step he took, his head ached. So badly that he wanted to turn back._

_No, he couldn't. He was a man. Not a little boy. How dare she call him a little boy?_

_Seifer heard footsteps. Squall, Selphie, and Zell had joined them in the small room. Hearing yet another snap, he assumed she had cast a spell on them also. Looking at each of them one by one, his gaze finally landed on Quistis. He could see her trying to shake her head. As their eyes made contact, Seifer found it difficult to break away._

_His eyes said farewell, then hardened, while hers continued to look upon him with a helplessness Seifer had never seen in her. She uttered words so quiet, that he thought it was only his imagination._

_" . . . Seifer . . . no . . . __"_

_He couldn't stand it. Hiding his emotions behind a cruel mask as he willed himself to wave to everyone, he turned and followed the Sorceress through the black hole that had appeared beside them. The last thing he heard was a muffled cry. A woman, screaming._

_"Seifer!__"_

...

..

.

His eyes shot open and he felt sweat on his forehead. _No . . . don__'t think about that anymore._ He found himself a little short of breath and became aware of how tightly he had been holding on to Quistis during his reminiscing. Thanking Hyne he hadn't wakened her, he calmed down and relaxed his grip. Slowly, he placed his eyes on her.

_She tried . . . she tried to stop me . . ._

He knew now, that he was her favorite student. But being someone's favorite and being cared about could be two very different things. He was ashamed. If only he had listened to her, none of this would have happened. And all those years where he had been with her in Garden, studying with her, and studying under her . . .

He thought she never cared.

Overwhelmed by this discovery, he felt something surge through him. Seifer reached out to her with a trembling hand and proceeded to sweep away a strand of her hair obstructing his view of her fair face. He wished he could take back everything rude he had said and done to her, but what's done cannot be undone, that much he knew. There was always this same guilt lingering in his mind.

Seifer breathed a sigh. He was kidding himself, surely. She might've cared for him then, but now . . . he _had_ tried to hurt her, after all, along with everyone else. There's no reason why she shouldn't be colder than she used to be. Hyne, if he had tried to kill himself, he'd hate himself, too. But then he realized . . . he already did.

_Do you mean you already hate yourself? Or that you already killed yourself?_

It was hard to distinguish between the two.


	11. Thunder Storm

**Chapter ****XI**** - Thunder Storm**

_The storms of suspicion flail . . ._

_Enthused by inkling thunder . . ._

_All because of one movement._

* * *

_" . . . Balamb Town . . . Please . . . Thank you. __"_

_Hmm?_

The voice stirred her. The odds and ends of a sentence she heard made her curious. Quistis breathed deeply and relaxed again, pressing herself against a warm object. The object tensed up and suddenly, it was gone.

_Wha—_

She had the odd sensation of falling. Interrupted by something velvety, she finally opened her eyes and found herself lying sideways on the SeeD cabin couch, with her student kneeling in front of her, grinning mischievously.

"So you're still alive, Instructor."

Quistis bolted right up, fully awake. "What happened?"

"Nothing. You fell asleep on me, that's all."

_So that__'s what the warm thing was._

"Your weight was making my arm numb, so I had to move. Once I did, you toppled over."

"Almasy, are you calling me fat?"

"Maybe." Quistis rolled her eyes. "C'mon. The train's stopped and we need to get off."

Still feeling a little groggy, Quistis followed him out of the cabin. The journey from the train station to her dorm was hazy, and Hyne, her head was spinning. Naps weren't good for Quistis Trepe. She was usually alert the second she wakes from sleep, but—

"Here you are, Instructor. Back at Garden, and alive to boot."

Not really listening to him, Quistis's throat emitted an annoyed and unladylike grunt, and she slipped her key card into the slot, opening her dorm door.

"I suggest you go straight to bed and sleep some more. And don't mark any papers either."

She looked over her shoulder and stared at him, finding his words strange. Since when did he care whether she slept or not? She was about to reply, but found that she had nothing to say except for " . . . thank you, Seifer. Good night."

He was not expecting such a gentle response. He said, almost too quietly, "Good night to you, too, Instructor." He turned and went into his own dorm, leaving Quistis alone in the hallway. Shaking her head, she stepped through her doors and felt it slide shut.

* * *

Quistis opened her eyes to a persistent sound. Someone was knocking at her door quietly, but loud enough to awaken her. The blinding red light of her clock told her it was 0340 hours. Who could it possibly be, on a Saturday (was it Saturday?) morning? Pulling the covers away and getting off her bed, she smoothed out her nightgown and pressed the button that opens the door. She was annoyed to find Seifer standing at her door. She leaned her body against the doorframe and crossed her arms, waiting for him to speak. He simply stared at her with the same curious expression, with a hint of a smile.

"Yes, Seifer?" she asked, after his silence was disturbing her.

"I couldn't sleep, Instructor, and I had a sudden urge to do my homework," was his reply. His eyes darted downwards and he looked back up at her again.

"A sudden urge to do your homework?" she repeated. "In the wee hours of the morning?" He nodded. "And you couldn't wait until the entire Garden is awake to tell me?"

"You know how inspiration is, Instructor. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to know what the assignment is before I give up on doing it altogether."

"It's not difficult, Seifer. I'm sure you could have handled waiting a few more hours to ask me. It's not very polite of you to wake someone up in the middle of the night, especially after the evening we've had."

"Well, it does have _some_ benefits . . . " he trailed off. Those same benefits had been keeping him up for most of the night, and when he couldn't stand it anymore, he just had to knock on her door.

"Such as?"

"I think it would be best if I kept them to myself."

Not noticing that he had been looking at her, Quistis sighed. "Very well, Seifer. I have assigned an essay on the importance of etiquette in missions involving social functions, a minimum of a thousand words in proper essay format, to be handed in the moment you step through the classroom door on Monday for the corresponding class."

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it, Instructor?"

"What wasn't so hard, Seifer? Informing you of your homework or trying my best not to take out your knees with my foot for waking me up at this hour?"

"Hyne, woman, are you really this violent at night?" Amused by the small show she was giving him, Seifer couldn't help but tease her.

"Let me remind you, Seifer, that it's no longer 'night'," she hissed at him. "Do you not know what _sleep_ is?"

"But I'm not tired—"

"Well, _I_ am. Are you quite done?"

He gave a mock salute.

"Good, now go to your room." She looked at him and waited for him to leave, but he did not move. "What?" she asked. She really wanted to go back to bed and Seifer wasn't helping.

He smirked, his eyes glimmering. "Will you come with me?"

"No! Good night!" Quistis pressed the 'close door' button and Seifer's face disappeared.

Walking back to her bed listlessly, Quistis fell back down and covered her face with her blanket, now cold from the absence of her body heat. When she calmed herself down, she remembered that Seifer used to do this almost all the time before the War: interrupt her during the evening or late at night just to ask about homework. But tonight, she must admit that he had gone too far.

_"Will you come with me?__"_

How dare he suggest such a thing? She was his Instructor, for Hyne's sake. He knows better than to tempt her.

_Why do I even classify him as a temptation?_

Quistis closed her eyes tightly, in hopes of forcing the forbidden thoughts out of her mind. But it was no use lying to herself. She knew Seifer was an attractive man underneath the repulsive nature of his ego at its maximum potential.

_Wonderful. Keep thinking about that man and you__'ll NEVER get to sleep._

* * *

"Thank you for the use of your restaurant, sir. It has been most helpful," Quistis said as she shook the hand of the Golden Torama restaurant manager. Her students were already filing outside, visibly enjoying the cool night air.

"You're very welcome, Miss Trepe. We are glad to be of service." She withdrew her hand from his. "If Garden ever needs anything from us, please don't hesitate to ask."

"We'll certainly keep your offer in mind. Thank you and have a good evening."

"You, too, ma'am."

Quistis stepped out of the restaurant and joined her class waiting outside. "Walk this way, please." She gestured with her arm and they followed her to a more open area in the quiet streets of Deling. When there was enough space, she ordered, "Cadets, attention." The students scrambled to stand in a line in alphabetical order and awaited the Instructor's inspection. Walking past them, Quistis corrected a few minor mistakes. "Heels in line at forty-five degree angle, Abram. Excellent posture, Ainsworth. Lower your chin a bit, Aki. Very good, Almasy. Barton, your arms are too stiff."

Carrying on and finishing off the rest of the inspection, Quistis finally said, "We will proceed to the Deling train station in an orderly fashion in line formation. When you arrive, show them your ticket and get on board. Once again, please be on your best behavior for you are representing Balamb Garden. Remember to keep your weapons concealed and don't cause any unnecessary trouble. Mariah Ralston and Edgar Towers, you will be the guides."

"Yes, Instructor," they answered and began to make their move towards the train station a few blocks away with the other students marching behind them. Quistis took the back of the line to keep an eye on everyone.

The students resumed their usual chatter once they were on the train and Quistis took a small seat by a window. It wasn't long before someone disturbed her peace.

"Instructor Trepe," the voice said.

Quistis tried her best not to sigh in annoyance. "Yes, Mr. Aki, what do you need?"

He had been sitting elsewhere talking to some others, and now there he was, beside her. Talman looked around, as if he didn't want anyone to see him or hear what he was about to say. "I wanted to know how I did on the essay," was his answer as he scooted a little closer to her.

Quistis leaned against the window naturally, trying not to be too obvious that he was a little too close for comfort. When she spoke, her tone was neutral. "I wouldn't know. The class only handed them in today, and I haven't had the time to mark them yet."

"Oh . . . sure, of course." He stopped and continued to sit there, breathing deeply every once in a while. It was clear to her that he didn't want to leave and wasn't going to leave any time soon. She tried the subtle approach.

"Was there something else you wanted to ask, Mr. Aki?" she asked in a way that emphasized her authority, hopefully reminding him that she was his superior.

"Uh, yes. I also wanted to know what you think of my current grades."

Quistis had to think on this a little. "I'd say your grades are . . . fair." He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but Quistis could see it wasn't the exact answer he was looking for. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if I could take an early exam, Instructor."

"The next set of exams available is in a few weeks. I can see if that can be arranged. You seem confident enough." She watched him smirk and couldn't help but think that Seifer's is so much better. Quistis scoffed inwardly at the thought. "Is there a reason for such a rush?"

Perhaps she had asked something he wanted to answer, because Talman smiled. "No reason, really. Hypothetically speaking, would an Instructor be impressed if one of her students passed an early exam?" He boldly placed a hand on one of hers, which had been resting on her lap.

Quistis was appalled by his nerve but didn't lose her composure. "Please remove your hand, Mr. Aki." He looked disappointed and snatched his hand away. "I wouldn't know if I would be impressed. In truth, I've never had a student who chose to take an early exam. But I suppose that, hypothetically speaking, I would, yes." She didn't want to give him too much hope, but no hope at all would be too harsh. If the thought of impressing her was his motivation to succeed, then so be it.

"Thanks, Instructor Trepe."

"You may go back to your seat now," she said, trying to make sure that he leaves this time.

"Yes, Instructor." He stood up and walked away from her, leaving her with the scenery in the window again. Quistis half-watched the passing lights and half-gazed at her reflection. She caught a pair of sharp verdant eyes staring at her, but thought nothing of it.

* * *

"What the _hell_ was that, Aki?" Seifer pushed the boy against a wall. It had barely been twenty minutes since he got off the train, and already Talman found himself wanting to be back on it.

"What was _what_, Almasy?" he challenged.

Seifer shook him by the collar and growled, the sound echoing in Talman's ears like fuming thunder. "You know what I'm talking about."

"I can touch her if I want to. What are you gonna do about it, huh?"

"You don't _want_ to know what I'll do about it." He pressed him harder against the wall. "Now you listen, and you listen good. Don't you _dare_ touch her again. _Ever_. If I find out that you did, then those hands of yours are going straight to the nearest chocobo feedlot. By themselves, without the rest of you. You got that, _Aki_?"

Talman clicked his tongue and scoffed. "You just wait, Almasy. My father's an Instructor. You can't boss me around like this." Seifer let him go and watched as he walked away at a quicker pace than usual.

"Seifer Almasy."

Seifer smirked to himself before turning around. "Instructor."

Quistis walked towards him. "What is going on?"

"Nothing, Instructor. Just a chat with a fellow classmate, that's all." He turned to leave but was halted by her words.

"I can report you for threatening a student. That is, if you were making a threat."

"Would _I_ ever threaten someone?"

"Enlighten me, Seifer. Why do it if you know you could get into trouble?"

He stepped closer to her. "Because he could become a disturbance to your teaching. I don't want that to interfere with my education. I'm just doing what's best for _me_."

Quistis wasn't convinced. "The real reason, Seifer."

He narrowed his eyes and looked at her intently. "If you really want to know, Trepe, then I'll tell you. As long as I'm around, no one is allowed to touch my favorite Instructor. _No one_." He made a brisk exit, leaving his Instructor behind to ponder what had just been said.


	12. No Mercy

**Chapter ****XII**** - No Mercy**

_The rivalry deepens once more . . ._

_And no mercy will be shown . . ._

_All because of one decision._

* * *

Seifer strolled through the halls of Balamb Garden with his hands in his pockets, occasionally glaring at passing students and Trepies. He was on his way to his last class of the day, and also his last class with that sorry excuse of a narcissist, Talman Aki. Best news he's heard all day, he gathered, other than the fact that Instructor Brahne was apparently retiring. Somehow, his lunch seemed easier to swallow that day. With any luck, her replacement would make _"Understanding of Elements__"_ class less monotonous.

His thoughts unconsciously wandered to the train incident the night before. The fury was still present, and it made him walk faster with disapproval written all over his face. That Aki boy was bold, all right . . . bold and stupid. Stupid enough to mess with Seifer Almasy. Thanks to that idiocy, he had landed himself a place at the top of Seifer's List. No, scratch that. The boy wasn't even worth the time and trouble to watch.

_The next time he does something I don't like, his digestive system will be the first thing I rip out._

The issue of Talman's discussion with the Instructor on the train came back again. There was no way in the world that Seifer Almasy was going to let some stupid _kid_ show him up. If Talman was allowed to take the next exam, then he should be, too. So far, Seifer had done an exceptional job on all his written tests in class. There was no possible way that his intelligence level could be any lower than Talman's. Come to think of it, there was no possible way for _anyone_ to have an IQ lower than Aki's, or so Seifer liked to claim.

_Early exam. Hah._

Snorting a little in mockery like the gentleman he rarely was, Seifer continued his walk when his eyes locked upon a familiar figure. Grinning sinisterly to himself, he quickened his pace and managed to retain a stealthy stride. Suppressing a smirk, Seifer stepped on the person's ankle and soon afterwards, there was an expected thud.

"Wh—oh, that was very mature, Almasy," said Talman, getting up from the polished floor.

"I didn't know you were so good at falling on your ass, Aki," Seifer retorted, thrilled with the glare he received from the shorter man.

"Hmph," Aki scoffed. "If you'll excuse me, _Almasy_, I'll be going to _class_." He turned his nose high in the air and started to walk away.

_No, I will not 'excuse' you, Aki,_ Seifer thought. _Not since that was one of the worst comebacks I've ever heard._ Seifer proceeded to laugh loud enough for Talman to hear, and caused the younger man to turn around. "Yeah, that's right, Aki. Take your scrawny little ass and go right to class like the little geek that you are."

"Who are you calling a geek, lapdog?" Talman said, knowing it would have some sort of effect.

Seifer's eyes narrowed the slightest bit. "You, who else? You're an idiot, thinking you can pass an early exam."

"What? You mean you don't think _you_ can pass it? That's a shame, Almasy. I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Sure you are," Seifer sniggered at the boy's foolishness. "Of course I don't think I can pass. I _know_ I can pass, which is so much more than I can say for the likes of you."

"Oh, really?" Talman stepped backwards, turned, and began walking towards the classroom again. Seifer followed. "_Who_ got permission to take the exam, huh?"

"Only because you asked first, Aki. Now I'm even more confident about getting permission. Not that I need the reassurance, but if even _you_ can take it early, then even some ten year old from Balamb Town can."

Instructor Aki's son sputtered but no words came out. He slowed his walk a little. "You think you're so smart? Wait 'til I tell my father about this."

"Daddy's little boy . . . always getting him to fight your battles for you, eh?"

"Shut up, Almasy." Talman was becoming angrier by the second. "I know for a fact that you're on probation. All I need to do is file one report and you'll be on the streets where you belong."

"Oh, I'm so frightened. And sorry to burst your tiny bubble, but I don't 'belong on the streets.' My standards for my own living are actually quite high."

Talman stopped outside the classroom door. "We'll see who gets the last laugh once I file that report."

"What's that?" Seifer leaned his ear closer to Talman. He straightened his back again and spoke, feigning realization. "Oh, you know what? Last I heard you were still a Cadet. Your little 'report' won't have enough power to push a dead Grat over the edge of a table. Face it, you can't do anything to me."

"Almasy, you're just—"

"If you're not in the classroom in ten seconds, gentlemen, then you are going to be late," Quistis's voice came loud and clear from inside the classroom.

Talman's head turned towards Quistis's voice, then swirled back to face Seifer. "We'll finish this later, Almasy."

"No, kid. You mean _you'll_ finish it later. Don't drag me into this. You started it, you finish it. Stop relying on other people and do something on your own for once." Seifer brushed past him with his usual air of defiance and took a seat, leaving an irate young man at the doorframe.

"Mr. Aki," Quistis began. "Do you or do you not want a detention for tardiness?"

He snapped out of his thoughts. "N-no, Instructor Trepe," he replied as he quickly stepped into the classroom right when the bell rang. He could see Seifer smirking as he reluctantly sat down beside the taller man. Talman's eyes fixed themselves on the workstation with loathing humiliation and one thought.

_Damn you, Almasy._

* * *

Quistis waited for the bell to ring and dismissed her class. The sound of students stretching and gathering their belongings filled her ears. When the majority of them have left, she looked up to see the infamous pair, who seemed to be taking their sweet time leaving. _Perfect_, Quistis thought.

"Mr. Aki and Mr. Almasy, please come see me at my desk," she said calmly as she rummaged through her briefcase to find some documents. Seifer and Talman stood in front of her desk and waited. Soon, Quistis found what she was looking for and gave something to Talman.

"If you still wish to take the earlier set of exams," she pushed her glasses back to a comfortable spot on the bridge of her nose, "please fill in these application forms and have them back to me within the next two days. This is your first exam, correct?"

"Yes, Instructor Trepe."

"Please take a look through the forms now and tell me if there is anything that you don't know how to fill in."

"Yes, Instructor."

Talman opened the envelope given to him and sorted through the papers. While he did so, Quistis pulled Seifer aside and spoke quietly to him, "I noticed that time is running short for you. Your twentieth birthday is coming up and it's October already."

"Why, you know when my birthday is, Instructor?" Seifer deliberately raised his voice so that Talman could hear him. "I'm so honored."

"Never mind that," Quistis said, which produced a soft snort of victory from Talman that only Seifer heard. "The point is: I want you to take this next set of exams as well. I am sure you have no objections."

"Of course not, my dear Instructor. You know me so well." Seifer smirked when he saw the look of surprise on Talman's face as Quistis handed him an identical envelope.

"And I am sure you know how to fill out those forms." She looked back at Talman. "Do you have any questions, Mr. Aki?"

"Uh, no, Instructor," he responded.

"Seifer?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

"Very well. You're both dismissed. Have a good day." Both males gave a salute and left the room.

"Hah," Seifer exclaimed once they were out of the Instructor's earshot. "What did I tell you, Aki? I didn't even have to ask her."

"You got lucky, that's all."

Seifer explained, "Luck has nothing to do with it. It's called natural talent and charm. They're handing out some artificial samples at the secret storage room at the Quad. Maybe you should go stand in line and get some."


	13. Hell Fire

**Chapter ****XIII**** – Hell Fire**

_A past oversight . . ._

_ Threatens the future . . ._

_All because of one swing._

* * *

_Well, that was about the easiest thing I've ever done_, Seifer boasted to no one in particular. The written exam had not changed at all: 150 Yes/No questions coupled with a few situational responses. By now, Seifer knew exactly what they always looked for in an ideal answer.

It would appear that he was the first one who finished the exam. However, upon a second glance at the doorway from which he just exited, another young man waltzed through with equal confidence and a most-irritating smile.

"A little early for you to be celebrating, Aki," Seifer said plainly.

"Says you, Almasy," the Cadet turned up his flat nose. "At least I knew every single answer. Just so you know, you got a few wrong."

Talman's attempt to provoke his classmate fell flat as Seifer laughed in ridicule. "Oh, really? If you knew all the answers, then why did you need to cheat off of me?"

"W-what! How _dare_ you! I do _not_ cheat!" Talman was caught off guard by the accusation.

"W-wow, kid." Seifer mimicked Talman's sudden stutter. "If you weren't cheating, how would you know what my answers were?" The younger boy was speechless. "Exactly. You're still so new at this, aren't you? I guess you're just not old enough to know any better."

"Whatever. My grades will probably end up being higher than yours anyhow. I passed my prerequisite with flying colors. What did _you_ get?"

Seifer paused.

_Prerequisite?_

"I love that you're trying so hard to impress me, but whatever you did, I did better." Seifer didn't bother to step up his game with Talman. If the kid was going to be immature, then so would he. "I'm light years ahead of you when it comes to field experience. I don't think you can cheat _there_ now, can you?"

"Keep up that taunting and I'll report you!" Talman pointed angrily at Seifer.

"You always say that, but I've never seen you follow through. You're really toying around with my trust. And here I thought we were friends." The sarcasm dropped like a brick on Talman's head. "Why don't you just go home and cry? Or will someone need to hire a baby-sitter in case no one's home?"

Talman took a deep breath, surprisingly calm. "One of these days, Almasy, I'll get you. Just wait and see."

"Waiting and watching. Give it your best shot."

Talman ignore him and walked away. Once the snobby youngster was out of sight, Seifer made a dash down the hall in the opposite direction.

* * *

Quistis gracefully balanced her books in one arm as she opened the library door with the other. Taking her time to ensure the safety of all the books in her possession, she came through the door triumphantly and placed all of the materials on the librarian's counter.

"That was amazing, Quistis!" the librarian with a pigtail gushed. "I was gonna come and give you a hand when I saw you with all these books, but I guess I should've known you would've been just fine. Are you returning all of them?"

"Yes, Lydia, and thank you for your intentions," Quistis said as she gave the young girl a small smile. "Has the library received the books I requested last week?"

"Hold on just one sec and lemme check!" Lydia tapped away at the computer and made a few clicks. Turning back to Quistis, she—

"TREPE! WHERE ARE YOU!"

Both ladies' heads snapped towards the shout from the hallway and looked through the library windows only to see Seifer and his signature coat turning every which way. His eyes landed on his fair Instructor and he almost tore apart the library doors.

"Trepe, where have you been!" he hollered.

Quistis was unfazed by his outburst. "I don't see how that's any of your business. And let me remind you, Mr. Almasy, that this is a library."

"Do I look like I care?"

"Why don't we take this outside?" Quistis turned back to the stunned librarian. "Sorry, Lydia. We'll be leaving now."

"Um, no problem," Lydia's voice was quivering slightly. "Thanks so much, Quistis."

The Instructor and her rambunctious student left the library and walked together. The halls of Balamb Garden were clear and quiet, as most students were preoccupied with studying for their exams.

She spoke without turning to look at him, "I assume you needed to talk to me, Seifer. So, start talking."

"It's about the prerequisite."

"Oh, yes. How did you do?"

Seifer was silent. For a moment their walking pace matched up. He didn't beat around the bush. "What is this 'prerequisite' thing?"

Quistis stopped abruptly in her tracks but Seifer walked a few more steps ahead. "Seifer, is this your idea of a joke? Because it's not funny."

Silence from him again.

"Oh, _Hyne_, Seifer!" It was her turn to holler at him. "Don't tell me you didn't—"

He whipped around to face her. "Of _course_ I didn't, Trepe! I don't even know what it is!"

"And you wait until _now_ to ask me? I thought you read through the entire SeeD exam application!" Her face was in his now, her eyes scolding him.

"You think I actually read those things?"

Quistis took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. "When is your written exam?"

"I already wrote it this morning," he explained, hoping that since he at least showed up for his exam, that deed would redeem his ignorance.

"You _WHAT_!" She was definitely angry with him now. "Seifer, the prerequisite is supposed to be taken _before_ you write the test! Hence the word '_pre_-requisite'!"

Seifer ran a hand through his short hair, ignoring the few strands that bounced back into place. _Why can't she just answer my question!_ "I think it would really help _both_ of us if you just tell me what that is!"

"Do you remember Fire Cavern?"

The light bulb turned on. "Oh, _that_. Yeah, I know what that is. I've already done it."

"When?"

"Before the War."

"Seifer, that doesn't count! That was then and this is now." Quistis was filled with incredulous disbelief. "You have to take the prerequisite _every time_ you choose to take the field exam."

"But I already passed it!" Seifer could not believe his luck, and the complaints began to pour out in a flood. "Why do I need to waste my _precious_ time doing the _same things_ over and _over_ again? Hyne, why do I even need to take all of these _stupid_ classes, do the homework, and write the _damned_ tests, if _all I need_ is to pass the field exam!"

"It's called regulation, Seifer. In case you've forgotten, you are in an establishment." Quistis knew there was no point in arguing with his rage. She thought hard for a resolution. "Well, fortunately for you, it takes about half a day for the written exam results to process, which means you have the same amount of time to find a SeeD to be your support and finish the prerequisite."

"All right, then let's go." Seifer turned to leave and when he realized that Quistis was not following him, he stopped and rolled his eyes. He turned back to look at her and held out both of his arms. "_Well?_"

"What do you mean, 'well'?" Although Quistis understood what he meant, she was in no mood to comply.

"Are you coming or not?" Seifer knew that had been the wrong way to ask the second he saw that certain look in her eye, the one she only got when she was about to give a repriman—

"Seifer, has it _ever_ occurred to you that I might have other things to do in the course of a day than to accompany you on your trips to indulge in compensatory acts? Secondly, this error is _yours_, so even if I were to go with you, it would be considered _quite_ a favor, wouldn't it?"

A scarred face scowled in reluctant defeat. He had no time for her formal theatrics. "_Please_ be my support for the prerequisite, _Instructor_," he managed to spit out.

"Fine. You'll owe me for this incident." She brushed by him and started walking faster than he had ever seen anyone walk.

By the time they reached the Front Gate, their strides had both developed into a brisk run. Quistis was deft and avoided all the people coming into Balamb Garden from a day of field practice. Seifer, however, being much larger and taller in stature, was unable to dodge some of the young Cadets. One of them even latched onto his arm to keep from falling backwards.

"Watch it, kid!" Seifer barked.

"S-s-sorry, sir!"

* * *

A couple of Haste spells later, the pair arrived at the entrance of Fire Cavern. Familiarly-robed Garden Faculty members stood in the way, one of which spoke mechanically and without fault, "Objective: to obtain a low-level GF. A SeeD member must support. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry it up." Seifer bounced the hilt of his gunblade on his shoulder in impatience.

No response.

Quistis bumped Seifer with her elbow. "You're forgetting something."

Seifer exhaled in annoyance and gave a salute. "YES. I. AM. READY." He deliberately slowed his speech and spoke louder to make sure the men could hear him.

"I'm his support. Instructor No. 14, Quistis Trepe."

The drone-like official continued, "Select a time limit. Choose one suited to your abilities. Challenging yet reasonable. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thir—"

"Five minutes," Seifer blurted.

"Seifer! Will you take this seriously, please!"

"Sorry, that is not one of the options. Please choose again. Ten minutes. Twen—"

Seifer interrupted once more, "I'll take ten, just let us in!"

"Very well. Good luck."

The Faculty moved aside and a blast of hot air rushed to meet Seifer and Quistis's faces. Seifer blinked to alleviate the dryness in his eyes and quickly made his way inside.

"My job is to support you in battle," Quistis explained. "Everything else is up to you."

"Save it, Instructor. I won't even need you."

"Suit yourself."

They traversed through the pathways with rapid ease. Once in a while, there would be a Bomb or a Red Bat, but Seifer efficiently disposed of them with his Hyperion and Blizzard magic. Quistis lagged a few steps behind to watch and was silently impressed by the poise with which he executed his spells. His one-handed method of wielding Hyperion freed his other hand to execute rapid successions of spells. It had been so long since she had seen him on the battlefield. _Of course, I always knew he had potential,_ she thought._ Please don't spoil this for yourself this time, Seifer._

Within three minutes, they had made their way to Ifrit's dwelling. A raucous roar announced the Guardian Force's presence from within the bubbling lava.

"WHO GOES THERE?" Ifrit's booming voice echoed in the cavern.

"Seifer Almasy," he said with a tone filled to the brim with conceit.

There was a moment of silence before Ifrit's voice shook the very walls of the cavern. "ALMASY. THE SORCERESS'S KNIGHT!"

"The one and only," he extended Hyperion toward the Guardian Force in a stance of challenge. Though he disliked the label, his dignity would not allow him to tarnish the reputation.

"YOU WERE THE ONE. YOU WERE THE ONE WHO KILLED ODIN!"

Quistis remembered that moment all too well. During the war, they had stumbled upon Odin at the Centra Ruins. The team had barely reaped the benefits of their new alliance; Odin appeared to perform Zantetsuken in the beginning of their last fight with Seifer when the most extraordinary thing happened: Seifer countered the attack, and went as far as splitting Odin into halves. Seifer had become, in one defining instant, the first and only person in the known history of the world to ever kill a Guardian Force.

Her thoughts were disrupted by Ifrit's enraged growl, and the handful of flames that he threw Seifer's way signaled the beginning of the battle. Seifer aimed a Blizzara spell at Ifrit's chest, causing the GF to howl in anger and pain. Quistis stepped up beside Seifer and was ready to cast Water when he turned and snarled at her.

"What do you think you're doing, Trepe!"

"What does it look like? I'm merely lending a hand."

"If, and only _if_ I need your help, I'll ask for it!" he yelled. "Until then, stay out of my way!" Seifer wasn't about to let Quistis fight his battles for him. Killing Odin had been an act of self-defense, and if Ifrit was going to treat it as something it wasn't, then Seifer would personally deal with the result of this misinterpretation.

Quistis had had enough of his attitude, but understood. "Fine. But Seifer, I hope you know that Ifrit is only classified as a low-level GF because he is bound by Garden contract to go easy on Cadets. If he chooses to, and it seems like he has, he can—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! Now go stand behind a boulder or something." He wanted her somewhere safe, just in case.

He jumped to avoid another stream of fire but was a sliver too slow. The force of the fire sent Seifer crashing into some nearby rocks. He stood back up and brushed the dust off his coat. Seifer pelted Ifrit with ice magic repeatedly while swiping at the beast with Hyperion; unfortunately, he missed his target most of the time. That rocky collision had hurt his head more than he would confess. However, Ifrit's attacks slowed in frequency as he was slightly disoriented from Seifer's quick movements. The ex-knight steadied himself to fire another round of Blizzara, when he suddenly stopped.

Seifer had depleted his stock of ice magic.

_No way. I thought I had more than this. I definitely did._

He searched his inventory for alternatives but found none. Then it dawned on him.

_That brat! That stupid brat!_

The person to whom he was referring was none other than one of Talman Aki's friends. Seifer had seen him before but his mind finally made the connection. In all the commotion and hurry, Seifer hadn't noticed at the time. The boy that had bumped into Seifer as he was on his way to Fire Cavern had held on to the taller man with dear life.

_Yeah, so he could pilfer my ice spells. Nice attempt at sabotage, Aki, but getting someone else to do it for you? What a Chicken-wuss. That is just like you._

Seifer's pause had given Ifrit the time he needed to regain his footing. "I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!" Ifrit decided to move in for a physical attack and before Seifer could react, he had been rammed and thrown far across the rocky terrain, and high into the air. His body was heading straight for the lava. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Quistis reaching for him.

_Instructor, you won't catch me in time anyway, so just_—

Before Seifer could finish his train of thought, he had stopped falling. Contrary to his belief, Quistis had not been reaching for him at all; she had cast Float on his descending form with a sort of punctuality possessed only by an experienced fighter.

_So she does care._

His ego swelled slightly as he released the breath he had been holding to smirk to himself. Their eyes locked and Seifer gave her a reluctant nod as a gesture of thanks. Quistis took the nod as permission to proceed.

To buy Seifer time, she called on Shiva. The cavern filled with steam as a pillar of ice burst forth from the ground. The column exploded into shards to reveal the ice goddess beneath, and for a split second, Seifer's eyes could not tell the difference between Quistis and Shiva; their blond hair were almost identical, and their temperaments even more so. As a sphere of light formed in the palm of Shiva's hand, Seifer knew he needed to put this distraction to good use while Float was still in effect. He turned to face away from Quistis and aimed a Fire spell at the cavern walls. The resulting momentum pushed him back onto dry land.

Ifrit's aggravated wailing thundered across the cavernous depths as icicles pierced his skin and created a thick cloud of fog upon impact. Shiva disappeared but the pain inflicted on Ifrit had frozen his movements momentarily. In the midst of the mist, Quistis felt something in her hand.

"I need to borrow some ice spells from you," Seifer's voice explained. She couldn't really see him, nor he her.

"I thought as much," she replied. "Go ahead." The contrast between the cold steam from the drying ice and the warmth of their hands made the pair shiver.

"It's not that I want to hold your hand," he said. Quistis could feel his smug grin through the fog. "But you and I both know drawing magic is faster with physical contact."

She ignored his provocation. "Take whatever you need."

He chuckled and leaned closer to her, his voice husky from exertion, "Don't mind if I do." His hand tightened around hers, and after a long moment, he released her hand, dragging his fingers across her palm all the while. Quistis could have sworn that he did so on purpose. She thanked the fog that hid the heat in her cheeks. _What's come over me? It's only Seifer._

"For your information, you have two minutes remaining," she tried to change the subject, more for her own sake than his.

"That's more than enough time." Seifer prepared to use his newly acquired Blizzaga spells.

With careful aim, he unleashed a barrage of ice onto the thickest part of the fog, and the subsequent roaring ensured his victory.

"VERY WELL," Ifrit gasped. "I ADMIT DEFEAT, VANQUISHER OF ODIN." Without waiting for a reply, Ifrit stepped into the lava and departed.

"Looks like you needed my help after all," Quistis remarked.

Seifer was too spent to argue. "Only because he decided to exact some sort of revenge. I would have had things under control if the situation had been typical."

"Of course." She stretched and exhaled through her nose. "Well, your work here is done. Shall we?"

They walked in silence for a time until Quistis felt that something was wrong. She watched him as they continued to walk. There were multiple scratches on his face: some were small, and some, like his pride, ran rather deep. Quistis knew better than to offer him a Potion or a Cure. His head was pointed forward, but his gaze was at the floor. She knew he hated to be reminded of the war. She did not look away when he glanced at her. Before he could say anything, she tried to dispel his despair.

"You know, the boys often choke on this test when I come with them. I guess my charm makes them nervous," she recited. "I am glad to see that you did not lose your composure."

Seifer knew what she was trying to do, and so he played along. "That's because you're with a real man now," he waved his arm up and down his body to prove his point. "You got to see the whole package in action today."

"Aren't I lucky, then." Feeling as if she achieved what she had set out to do, Quistis decided to give him a small smile, which Seifer caught and returned.

She saw more gratitude in that single gesture than she had ever received from anyone else.


	14. Dark Messenger

**Chapter ****XIV**** – Dark Messenger**

_An ominous cloud . . ._

_Conceals and reveals . . .  
_

_All because of one call._

* * *

"Oh, yes, yes, of course, my good doctor . . . yes, right away. Within the next two days, guaranteed. Yes, I will inform them, but I'll have you know that Squall is—"

Dr. Odine interrupted Cid again on the other end of the line. The Headmaster furrowed his brows and tried to listen to the long-winded request again.

"All right . . . yes, yes . . . if it's pertinent to the situation, then I'm sure he'll consider. Well, thank you for your patronage. Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Yes, good day." He hung up.

Cid sat back in his seat and heaved a long, long sigh. This news will not be received well. He stood up to pace around his office, trying to phrase the words in his mind to get them just right. Finally, after a few moments, he sat back down, took a deep breath, and dialed the number Squall had left him for emergency contact.

* * *

The ringing continued for quite some time before Squall was annoyed enough to pick up the call.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Squall! How have you been?"

Cid's attempt at injecting enthusiasm fell flat, as most attempts of a similar nature had a tendency to do when it came to Squall.

"I've been asleep until now. What is it?"

"Er, sorry to wake you and disturb you during the last days of your honeymoon, but I received an urgent call from Dr. Odine a few minutes prior, and needed to speak with you right away."

"Who is it, Squall?" Rinoa whispered next to him. Squall held up a hand to hush her. She backed down and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his back.

"What's the matter?" he spoke curtly, hoping Cid will get the hint.

"He needs a team of SeeDs for a special research project — he wouldn't tell me what — and demanded a tailored team."

"What are the conditions?"

"He requested that the SeeDs must include at least a few people who were on active duty during the last war, people who knew what was going on with Time Compression. Since you and the rest of your team were heavily involved, I thought that you might perhaps like to investigate what is happening."

"What _is_ happening?" Squall felt a tug on his sleeve and glanced at Rinoa. She made a circle with each hand and placed them on her face to frame her eyes. Squall nodded.

"That's the thing, we don't know, and we don't seem to be privy to any information. Dr. Odine said that any intel will be shared only with the team we send. So, what about it?"

"Squall, we'll be home soon, can't he just wait a day or two?" Rinoa pleaded. "Please?"

Squall sighed. He had been the (reluctant) hero for far too long, and wanted to waive the responsibility just this once, or at least delay it. "I still have a day or two left here, Cid. I think I needed this break from all the chaos of that War. Just how much of an emergency is this?"

"We really don't know. Dr. Odine sounded manic."

"He always sounds manic."

"Well, yes, that's true . . . Squall, I do understand the emotional toll of revisiting this subject, or anything related to the War, for that matter . . . so who would you like to send in your place as leader?"

Squall pondered for a second and not a moment longer. "Quistis." _She's the most reliable. I'd trust her to get things done._

"Very well. I'll let her know. Thank you for your time, Squall. Have a safe journey home when you do come back. Again, sorry for the disturbance."

"Whatever. We'll talk more in-depth when I get there." Squall paused, then added, "And tell them to take the Ragnarok, just in case. You never know what Dr. Odine is up to."

* * *

"You paged me, sir?" Quistis gave a salute.

"Yes, Quistis, have a seat," Cid gestured toward the chairs in front of his desk. "To be precise, Squall asked for you."

She perked up at the name and asked, interested, "Squall? Is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing is 'wrong', so to speak. We have a new mission for you."

_A mission? Doesn't he remember that I'm an Instructor now? I shouldn't be going on missions. However, if Squall requested it . . ._ "What are the details?"

"All we know is that Dr. Odine specifically asked for a team led by people who have experience with Time Compression. They don't necessarily have to have had _experienced_ Time Compression the way you have, but just a familiarity with it. Do you know of any students or former students of yours who may have an interest in the subject?"

"I know a few. May I presume that you are asking me to lead such a team?"

"Well, ideally, Squall would be leading it, but . . . "

"He's still away." _And he's been gone for a while now, come to think of it. Then again, he didn't leave for his honeymoon until a month after the wedding._

"Precisely. I called him for some input, and he was confident that you would be able to fill his place until his return. Dr. Odine said he probably wouldn't keep the team for more than three days."

"I will do my best, sir."

"Assemble a team of twelve people, if you can. You will be the one to make the calls. Squall has also permitted the use of the Ragnarok."

Quistis nodded. She was hoping Cid would bring it up, but . . . "Sir, there is one problem. If you recall, you've assigned me to oversee the next field exam on the day after tomorrow."

Cid looked perplexed for a moment, but then he remembered. "Oh, yes! Ahh, well . . . you know that missions do take priority over examinations."

"But, sir, Seifer will be taking that exam." She was worried, of course, and had every right to be.

The Headmaster widened his eyes. "Already?"

"I suggested that he take an early exam, considering his twentieth birthday is coming soon. SeeD graduation restrictions . . . " she trailed off.

"Hmm. But Quistis, because this mission may be directly related to the War, I would much rather we prioritize this event and see how Seifer does on his own. I'm sure you've adequately prepared him for his exam." He didn't wait for her response. "You know the protocol, should these conflicts arise. I trust you will take care of everything."

"Certainly, Headmaster."

"Very well. The day is still young," he glanced at his desk clock, which read 0913. "Take some time to prepare, and please be ready to leave at dawn tomorrow. Dr. Odine and his staff will provide all the necessary information. You are dismissed."

By the time Quistis left the office and reached the elevator, she had already mentally compiled a list of suitable candidates for the mission.

* * *

Quistis was both exhausted and energized from running around. After tracking down many of the SeeDs she wanted, she left Selphie and Irvine a message in their dorm rooms about the mission, and she was sure that they would respond promptly. She needed a pilot for the Ragnarok (whom better than Selphie?) and someone to keep the pilot grounded. Two extra team leaders wouldn't hurt. Recruiting Zell was out of the question, since he was off visiting Ma Dincht for some much-needed time off, much like the Commander himself, and Quistis didn't know if she had what it took to keep Zell's energetic nature in check.

When everything was done, she sat down at the desk in her room, simply contemplating. She hoped that the mission would not keep her away for too long. Even though missions and assignments had their thrills, she preferred the comfortable routine of Garden. Sure, things were monotonous, but she still liked to maintain a sense of control over her surroundings. The familiar had more appeal to Quistis than the unpredictable. But how would that explain the strange tolerance (much more than tolerance, really) for Seifer? Maybe it was a sign that, like everyone else, she too can grow weary of tedium, and wouldn't mind an adventure now and then.

_Adventure . . . _

She glanced at her phone and laid a hand over the receiver. _The mission is tomorrow. I'd better do it soon if I'm going to do it at all._

Quistis carefully dialed the number for Trabia Garden and reached the operator. "Patch me through to Instructor Cedric Dolan, please."

"One moment, miss." Quistis was put on hold, and half-listened to a bombastic arrangement of Trabia's anthem. She snapped back to full consciousness when the music made an abrupt stop. "Instructor Dolan is not available at the moment." It was the same operator. "Did you want to leave a message for him?"

"No, that's fine. Thank you." _So much for that, I suppose._

She rose from her chair and stretched, briefly looking out the window. She surveyed her dorm and landed her eyes on the stack of library books – books she had to return to the library to procure due to Seifer's brusque interruption the other day. Quistis chose the shortest read of the pile and headed for the cafeteria, hoping to do some light reading during lunch.

Balamb Garden's halls were slightly more lively than usual, due to the fact that examinations have started and classes were over for the term. The cafeteria was a different story. Quistis was pleased to find that she had made it there before the lunch rush. There were only ten people in line, but unsurprisingly there were no more hot dogs left (so said a sign). Quistis took her place in line behind a young female Cadet, who blushed when she realized she was standing close to _the_ Quistis Trepe, but the Cadet didn't want to make a scene and stared forward.

Quistis took the time to browse through her book. Just as she was about to put on her reading glasses, she felt a tap on her shoulder. With her glasses still in hand, she turned to see who it was.

Atop a familiar uniform with a dark amethyst trim, a handsome smile greeted her curiosity.

"Instructor Dolan!" Quistis couldn't believe her luck. When he raised an eyebrow in response, she corrected herself. "Cedric. Nice to see you again."

"The feeling is mutual, Quistis," he said gently. "Here for lunch?" They exchanged other pleasantries, and Quistis offered to pay for his meal. "Oh, no, I couldn't let you do that," he said.

"Please, I insist. You're a very important visitor." She smiled and waved away his objections, and he reluctantly complied. They walked as a pair to a secluded table and sat down, slightly obscured from the rest of the cafeteria by way of some potted plants. "What brings you to Balamb Garden today?"

"Well, Instructor Brahne is retiring," Cedric started, emptying some of a pouch of sugar into his tea, "and she had posted on the Instructor's Exchange Board that she wanted to give away her teaching materials and other resources to interested parties, so I came by to pick them up since it is examinations week and all." Quistis looked around his person to find that he had been carrying nothing. He noticed the inference. "I don't have them yet, unfortunately. I visited her shortly before I came here, and she said she would have them ready for me within the hour."

"I see." Quistis stirred her tea deftly and continued, though unsure of where to begin. "Actually, I had wanted to meet with you."

"Oh?"

* * *

As Seifer stepped out of the shower in his dorm, his stomach began to beg loudly for food. Training in the Training Centre was rougher than usual today, but only because he pushed himself rather hard. He went many a battle without healing himself in-between and, as a result, were able to hone his reaction times; one tended to be quicker when one's life was at stake.

He took to the cafeteria, half following his sense of smell, half following his ears. There was quite a ruckus at the cafeteria, and by the time Seifer arrived, he could barely make his way inside. The line for the food orders was long and winding, but even bigger still was the crowd that had gathered around some plants. Seifer recognized some Cadets from his class, and even some upper classmen.

"Wow, she's usually here alone!" chirped a young female voice.

"She looks awesome without her glasses on!" some teenager commented.

"Is that the first time you've seen her without her glasses? You're such a newbie."

"I wish I were eating lunch with her."

"I wish I were her!"

Seifer rolled his eyes and started to walk the other way. _Trepies_.

"Who's that guy?"

_Guy?_

"Oh, he's so dreamy!"

"It's like they were made for each other."

"Hmph. Quistis is more attractive than him."

"They totally look like royalty . . . oh, let me be your prince, too, Quistis!"

_Sickening._

"I think I know him! I have a friend that goes to T-Garden, and she always talks about this really hot Instructor that she has for this one class . . . this guy totally matches her description!"

"Hyne, I'm going to faint . . ."

"Oh, look, he's laughing at something she said!"

"Give us a name!"

"Cedric Dolan!"

_Dolan_. Seifer's head turned toward what he couldn't see. He wasn't going to try his hand at weeding through the fan club. The crowd was too thick, like a poisonous fog, threatening to wind around the Garden and bring everything to destruction.

_Whatever._ Seifer unintentionally stole the words of his rival (and where had Squall been anyway?).

The trip to the cafeteria wasn't a waste. He wasn't hungry anymore.

* * *

Seifer strolled idly by the classrooms on the upper level of Garden and found himself feeling a little uneasy. _This is it. If you pass that field exam in a few days, you won't be stuck in this hellhole anymore. No more homework, no more Aki, no more lectures from Trepe . . ._

He paused to let reality sink in. _What does it matter?_

"Thanks a million, Instructor Brahne." Seifer recognized the voice but did not see the person. "Have a good day." He saw Cedric Dolan walk out of a nearby classroom carrying a mid-sized cardboard box. Try as he might, Seifer couldn't bring himself to dislike him. Not that he has a reason to dislike him . . . right?

"Need a hand, Dolan?" Seifer asked.

"Seifer!" The Instructor smiled. "Thank you, but I can handle a box just fine. Although, if a T-Rexaur were to come out right this second, I think I'd have to ditch the box and make a run for it," he joked. "Teaching materials just aren't worth nearly _that_ much." The younger man smirked at the comment. "Have you been well?"

"Well enough." Seifer was more intrigued by why Cedric was even here. "You didn't come all this way just for this box, did you?"

Cedric laughed, a very gentlemanly chuckle. "Actually, yes, that _is_ pretty much all I came here for, but I suppose I got distracted by a certain Miss Trepe and we had a good conversation for a while, until we noticed quite a few students watching from a rather uncomfortable distance."

"Cadets here have nothing better to do these days," Seifer remarked.

"Most Cadets are like that, I think," Instructor Dolan said knowingly. "By the way, Quistis told me that you're taking your field exam very soon. Are you ready for it?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." _Quistis was talking about me?_ Seifer's stomach chose this moment to remind him of its presence again. _Of all people to embarrass me in front of. Thanks, stomach._

"Not like that, you won't," Cedric was generous with his laughter. "I almost forgot." He put down the box and reached inside. Before Seifer could see what it was, Cedric had tossed it to him and Seifer was now the one holding it with both hands. "Quistis told me to give that to you if I ran into you. If not, then I was to keep it for myself. I wonder how she knew. Anyway, I must be off. 'Back to the grind', if you will. Papers to grade and all that. If you see Quistis, please tell her that I said not to worry about a thing."

Seifer hid his confusion to utter a quick thanks and a good-bye. As Cedric walked away, Seifer examined what had been tossed to him, and was amused to find a neatly wrapped sandwich. He peeled back the wrapper and took a bite of chicken, tomato and lettuce, his appetites savoring the long-awaited fare.

_At least she has good taste._


	15. 1000 Needles

**Chapter ****XV**** – 1000 Needles**

_A fanciful thought . . .  
_

_Meets a stab of reality . . ._

_All because of one vision._

* * *

Seifer awoke slowly, his eyes opening in response to a distant sound.

By the time he was aware of his surroundings, he had already sat up in his bed. His dorm was balmy and a little dark. Seifer looked over at his clock to see 20:54.

_I must have dozed off after coming back here. Guess I pushed myself harder than I thought._

What to do now? Go back to sleep? He had already ruined his sleep cycle with his unintentional nap. He slowly took in a deep breath. He tried to get up, but a stream of pins and needles crept up his left leg, evidently still asleep despite the wakefulness of the rest of his limbs. Seifer scowled and plopped himself back onto the bed to wait until his leg decided to obey him.

He had hoped that he would keep on dreaming – it had been such a pleasant dream. Quistis was there, and she wasn't admonishing him as was typical of their conversations together. Lately, he had been dreaming about her too often. Those dreams were mostly innocuous, situations that resembled much of his Garden life since his return. The others were not quite so innocent.

Why had he been dreaming about her so much? Perhaps it was because he knew the end was coming: if he passed his exam, he would have no more classes, no more Instructors, no more Quistis, and no more excuses to see her.

His subconscious had been missing her already.

But the other part of him was impatient. He couldn't wait to pass his exam and finally have access to the opportunities to do what he did best: fight. Of course, Seifer knew that not all SeeD missions were filled with violent warfare and mobs of monsters, but being dispatched around the world to do mission work was better than leading a boring, simple life somewhere in Dollet (or worse, Timber). Boring and simple were what Seifer hated the most.

_Then why do you think about that boring, simple Instructor all the time?_

What was it about her that he found so alluring? Quistis's life was full of non-adventures and paperwork, and her personality leaked propriety and decorum wherever she went. Her beauty knew no equal, but it carried with it a streak of inferiority like none other. The way she undermined her abilities was perhaps her only flaw, the only scratch on the surface of that polished façade. There must be more beneath the shell, if only he could claw his way inside . . .

And that was probably why he tried to irritate her so much. All this time, he was hoping that maybe something would slip, and she would accidentally give away something that no one else knew, something that only Seifer Almasy would know, because no one goaded her more than he did. There had to be more to her, because perfection was only a myth invented by the deluded masochists of the world. Seifer admitted that he was messed up – but who wasn't after a war? _Quistis Trepe, that's who._ How could someone just be so immaculate? She was in the War, too . . . but for some reason or another, she seemed to have come out of it unscathed in all the right places. But Seifer knew: he knew that she made mistakes like every other human being . . . just not as much as most people. When she did err, not many knew her well enough to realize it was out of the ordinary.

_And, what, you think you know her better than anyone?_ Seifer thought with a tinge of scorn.

Although, he was finally beginning to see some semblance of proof that Quistis was more than what she seemed. Every little shot of mockery, every little glance, every little argument showed him a little more of her, pieces that she would lay out before him incidentally, for him to piece together whenever she wasn't around. But Seifer knew it was becoming a craving of sorts – he wanted to see the big picture so badly, and the pieces never seemed to be dealt to him fast enough. The more he scavenged for those pieces, the more the thrill of the hunt grew in him. Recently, he had found himself to be more and more aggressive with his excavation of those precious relics, but what he found was never sufficient for him to understand the essence of that civilization, the inner workings of Quistis's boring, simple world.

Seifer hoped to Hyne that Quistis had not caught on to what he was feeling. _He_ didn't understand what he was feeling. Of course, by now, he had acknowledged and accepted that there was a certain sort of – a _definite_ sort of – attraction. What man in their right mind (aside from Puberty Boy, apparently) was not attracted to Quistis Trepe on the most fundamental levels? But the way Seifer always thought about her, always wondered about her, always analyzing her every move, he was sure that this madness far exceeded anything any Hyne-damned Trepie ever reached.

What brought this on anyway? Nothing had changed between them in the last few months. Or perhaps things had always been like this, even before the War. The last time he saw her, she was_—_

She was with Cedric Dolan.

Seifer didn't like to think of himself as the jealous type, but something about that combination made him uneasy. However, he couldn't deny the facts: people like Quistis and Cedric were perfect together. Everything was just _perfect_. Seifer was sick and tired of perfection, especially since he had just established in his mind that perfection was but an invention. The world isn't perfect, and neither should anything in it. By that logic, Quistis should be with _him_, the troubled and tainted. Seifer wouldn't mind that in the least. Besides, that was how things should work in this unfair existence. But that was _his_ world. Everything could be utterly dissimilar in Quistis's worldview. Relations like hers and Dolan's would fit in so tidily.

He wanted so much to turn everything upside down for her sometimes. What would she do if her world came crashing at her feet? He could be there to put it back together with her in a different arrangement, and maybe then she'd understand that he was the one for her after all, because all this time, her world had been a delusion where perfection should not have existed in the first place. Seifer would then have a place in her mind, because the call for perfection would no longer be there to push him aside.

But he could never do that. To destroy something that someone had built up with a lifetime . . . he wasn't that sort of person anymore. He had done enough of that during his days as a Knight, enough to know that when you take something of irreplaceable value away from someone so completely, not only do you not gain anything in return, but you lose a piece of yourself as well.

_This thinking business was a gigantic waste of time._ Seifer needed to find something better to do before his thoughts got the better of him. He stared at his dorm door and was reminded of the woman across the hall. He exhaled loudly, finally getting out of bed. The numbing sensation in his leg had long disappeared, but now, at the thought of _her_, some other feeling stirred in his chest.

How could a boring, simple woman make things so intriguing and complicated?

* * *

_"Hello, Selphie. This is Quistis again. I left you a message earlier, but I haven't heard back from you yet, so I have called once more. Headmaster Cid is sending us on an urgent mission early tomorrow morning, and I have arranged for our team to meet at the hangar bay at 0630 hours. Please bring Irvine with you and pack accordingly, since we will be away on this mission for a few days at the least. I won't be leaving Irvine a message because I know he's never in his dorm. I hope you receive this message in time. If not, I have allotted some time tomorrow morning in order to look for you, as the latest we hope to depart is seven-hundred. The current time is twenty-one-twenty hours. If you have any concerns, please call me in my dorm. I shall be here until tomorrow morning. Thank you."_

Quistis placed the receiver back on the phone. Her message was the only way to reach Selphie now. One never knew where the spunky brunette would be at any given time. Quistis had efficiently gathered all of her necessities and spread them out on her small dining table, and was ready to place them into a plain and durable duffel bag when she remembered that she was going to use her shampoo one more time before packing it.

Stepping into the shower stall, Quistis was thankful that she was no longer in the cramped quarters of the SeeD cabins; the showers in Cadet dorms were even smaller, if such a thing was possible. One would think that SeeDs would have the same luxuries that faculty members have, but due to the unfortunate faculty-to-SeeD ratio (approximately 1:10), there was just not enough space to accommodate all SeeDs with such facilities. The water slowly warmed up and Quistis took a deep breath. She went about her usual shower routine, half-lost in her own thoughts.

_This may be the last time I feel the comforts of 'home' in a while. Dr. Odine's lab lodgings are, though technologically advanced, not the most comfortable. I wonder what the mission will entail. Speaking of missions, will Seifer be all right? Have I really done all I can to prepare him for the exam?_

The next step was blow-drying her hair, something that usually took some time due to her long locks. Her hair was a little wavy and dark when wet. Quistis stared into the bathroom mirror, looking in but not really seeing anything. Her bathrobe was white and fluffy – just the way she liked it. Quistis turned on the dryer and listened to the soothing whir of the appliance while her arms weaved a comb through a flaxen field. She thought she heard a rap on her door. The content Instructor was forced to stop her task to listen.

Nothing. Must have been her imagination.

Quistis was about to start again when another knock proved her wrong.

_This late . . . it must be Selphie. Good, if I can talk with her in person . . ._

She secured the dryer onto its rightful place on the bathroom wall and strode to the door to answer the knocker. The moment the door slid open, Quistis felt like running back to the bathroom.

"Well, Instructor," a deep voice spoke suggestively. "Isn't this a treat."

Never mind the fact that she was only half-decent with only a robe between her and the public sphere, but seeing that it was Seifer at the door did not make the situation any better. Had she checked to confirm that the guest was not Selphie, she might have thought twice about opening the door.

Quistis crossed her arms in front of her chest and tried her best to ignore his leer. "How can I help you, Seifer?"

"Oh, _you_ know." He raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Seifer, I am not going to stand here all night just so you can make all sorts of inappropriate passes at me." _What is going on with him tonight? He's not usually this forward._

Little did Quistis know that her bathrobe-clad figure and damp tresses were wrecking havoc on Seifer's already-thin line of reasoning. Drops of water descended from her hair and rolled pass her collarbone, down into the unknown abyss of the robe. He had been expecting the uptight SeeD uniform, not something straight out of a daydream. The only way for Seifer to hide his (hopefully unapparent) attraction was to be blatantly bold. He hoped that by being more crude and flirtatious, Quistis would only think that it was routine teasing. Besides, if he just spoke his mind, maybe it will keep his body from doing anything brash.

_Not that I don't want to do HER. Dammit, I shouldn't have come . . ._

"No need to stand, Instructor. Why don't you take a seat?" _And maybe cross your legs while you're at it, since that bathrobe is so short— _

"Thank you, Seifer, for offering me a seat in _my_ dorm," she emphasized the possessive to remind him of where he was.

"You're very welcome, Instructor." He gave her a charismatic grin that would have brought her to her knees if she weren't already so self-conscious of her state of undress. She noticed that he lost no time in sitting down on one of her armchairs and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He continued to stare at her.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"You."

His direct answer brought a rush of heat to her face. She turned around in a flash, only to face the tabletop full of her personal belongings waiting to be packed into the duffel bag. Among the items were her_—_

"I don't think I can go without mentioning your unmentionables, Trepe." Quistis couldn't see him, but she could definitely feel the smirk widening on his face.

"Seifer, I was obviously not expecting company." She half-turned, and Seifer could see only her profile. "Did you come here for an actual purpose?"

Seifer, at long last, sat back in the chair. It was only when Quistis felt sufficiently relaxed to turn all the way to face Seifer again that she finally got a good look at him. He had shed his familiar coat as well as the vest, leaving behind a tempting vision in a black wife-beater and black combat pants. His hair was swept back with a few rebellious strands escaping from his distinguished hairline, like fishing rods dangling at the edge of a golden pier, baiting her attention. Quistis felt that blushing sensation spread throughout the rest of her body, and suddenly her bathrobe felt all too warm.

"Hmm," she contemplated aloud in an attempt to appear composed. She had forgotten her question.

"What?" Seifer was caught off-guard by her abrupt awareness of his presence.

"Nothing. It's just that_—_" she cleared her throat and swallowed hard, "Your coat is usually on. I've always wondered what you wore underneath, that's all."

"Don't you mean you've always wondered what was underneath what I wore, Instructor?" he rephrased for her.

His presumptuous response snapped her out of her reverie as she disregarded his correction. She had no time for this nonsense. In an attempt to calm her nerves, Quistis started to load her belongings into the bag.

"Going somewhere?" Seifer inquired casually.

"Yes, I'm going on a mission tomorrow."

He leaned forward suddenly, and almost slapped one of his palms on an armrest. "Where?"

"Esthar. We've been requested by Dr. Odine." She went into the bathroom to collect her shampoo, disappearing from Seifer's view. He could hear her rustling around.

"How long will you be gone?"

Her voice sounded like a chime, bouncing off the bathroom tiles. "A few days."

Seifer was not amused. By this time, he had stood up from the armchair and walked closer to the bathroom. Quistis reappeared and carefully tucked the bottle of shampoo into the bag.

"What about my field exam?" He tried to make eye contact but to no avail. "Just two days ago, you told me that you were going to be the SeeD escort for the mission." Seifer couldn't help but feel betrayed somehow.

"Clearly, Seifer, the circumstances have changed. Missions take priority over exams."

This change did not bode well for Seifer, he knew. Who was going to take her place? With his luck, it would be someone who hates him. Maybe Zell. Maybe even Squall. Either way, Seifer could see his future going down the drain.

Quistis stopped her packing when everything dawned on her. She spun around slowly to meet his gaze and spoke carefully. "Seifer, is that why you're here? Are you nervous about your field exam?"

Seifer didn't answer at first. He could only stare back at the one person who could ever see through him so easily. Finally, his low chuckle pierced the silence.

"Why would I be nervous, Instructor? I've already done this about three times."

"That's the problem, Seifer."

His expression grew tense. "Look, Trepe," he closed the distance between them a little more. "I'm not doubting my own ability. It's other people I don't trust."

Quistis had full confidence in his abilities. However . . . "If you don't trust your team, how will you ever work together on a mission? This is exactly the sort of attitude that can get you killed."

"I'm sure this is not news to you, Instructor, but I'm not particularly afraid of dying."

Quistis was irritated by his disregard for his personal safety. _How could he think that? How could someone just be fine with dying?_ Her exasperation, she knew, originated from her own fear of death. Quistis preferred predictability, and death meant unpredictability; death itself was unpredictability. There is no warning, no way to discern what happens after. And how did her mind get on such a macabre subject? _Oh, yes. Seifer: the walking pillar of capriciousness. Every time he comes near, my own thoughts become unpredictable._ Quistis sometimes envied the contagious nature of his personality.

But most of all, she couldn't believe how much the thought of Seifer's death was affecting her.

Quistis could do nothing but throw her hands up in defeat, and her voice tried to hide disappointment and anger. "Well, I suppose there's nothing I can say, Seifer. Do things your own way, as you've always done. There's nothing more I could possibly do for you now. But for Hyne's sake, please try to follow orders_—_"

"What do you mean, '_please_'?" He scoffed loudly. "You make it sound like I'd be doing _you_ a favor."

She was upset now, very much so. The thought of Seifer charging into a dangerous situation without any consideration for his own wellbeing scared the hell out of her. "Because you can't seem to do it for yourself, so you may as well do it for me!"

_For her . . . ?_ "Why?" He paused before continuing. "Because I'm the single blemish on your 'perfect' record of 'perfect' students? Don't base your self-worth on the performance of others, Instructor."

Quistis took a step backward, away from him. "You know what, Seifer? I'm not even your Instructor anymore, as of our last class this term. So why should I care?" _Why do I even care? For someone like him . . . someone who doesn't even care about anyone else . . ._

Seifer looked her in the eyes with a concentrated gaze that made her suppress a shiver. She stared back.

_That's right, she's not your Instructor anymore_. But a part of him still wanted her to care, still wanted _someone_ to care. Maybe that was the reason why he liked having her as his Instructor: her role practically forces her to care for her students – for him. Had he been hoping all this time that she would conflate her feelings for him as an Instructor with any other possible attraction? He wanted to know, about how she really felt.

"Why do you even care in the first place?" he questioned.

"Because I was your Instructor."

Her answer wasn't good enough for him. "Yeah, that's a load of Blobra sh—"

"Seifer," she scolded.

"Look, you just said that you aren't my Instructor anymore, and if the only reason you cared was because you were my Instructor, then you obviously never really cared."

"Seifer, that's not how it is."

"Then _tell_ me how it is." He stepped closer again.

"What does it matter whether I care or not?"

"I don't know!" he almost shouted.

His voice startled the two of them, and there was silence as Quistis tried to understand the conversation.

"Seifer . . ." she spoke softly. He turned his head away to stare at a corner of her floor. "If you didn't think I cared, then you wouldn't have come looking for me tonight."

"I'm not here because of that stupid exam."

"Then what are you doing?"

He couldn't tell her. He couldn't possibly tell her, because she wouldn't possibly understand. But Seifer Almasy doesn't lie. Lying was the armor of cowards, and sooner or later, the shield was bound to break. No, no lies. He needed a deflection.

"How'd you know I was hungry?" he asked, hoping that was enough to derail her train of thought, which must have been going a mile a minute trying to comprehend what was happening.

Quistis furrowed her eyebrows together for a split second. "What do you mean?" From the look in her eyes, Seifer could see that he had succeeded. His confidence resurfaced.

"I ran into Dolan earlier today and he gave me a sandwich. Courtesy of my favorite Instructor, apparently."

Quistis never got used to (or tired of) hearing him call her his favorite, whether or not he was doing it to mock her. She bit her lip to hold back a blush. "Yes, well . . . he and I were in the cafeteria, and I saw you – or rather, your head – and you left without any food. I thought you were probably hungry, else you wouldn't have gone to the cafeteria in the first place. I assumed that you didn't want to wait in line for anything, so I waited until after the lunch rush to buy a little something for you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not give it to me yourself? How did you even know Dolan would run into me?"

"I had some things to take care of regarding the mission and so I gave it to him, in case he saw you. Knowing him, he probably would have searched all over for you until he could place it safely in your hands, so I trusted that it would get to you unharmed."

Seifer mumbled something under his breath.

"Pardon me?" she tilted her head towards him.

"Thank you," he said, a smidgen louder this time.

A small chuckle burst from her lips. _This is rare . . . verbal gratitude from the Great Seifer Almasy._ Before he could say anything, she added, "Have you had dinner?"

"Yeah, I went to the deli at the Balamb Town train station." The tension from before had dissipated, and they both felt more comfortable in the other's company. "_Their_ sandwiches are much better."

Quistis sighed with a smile and continued packing. "What are you, some sort of sandwich connoisseur?"

Seifer took the opportunity to watch her as she went about her business with her back turned to him. His eyes skimmed over her bare legs. "No, Garden grub just really sucks."

"It's not so bad. The kitchen staff serves regulated food. How else will everyone get their essential nutrients?"

"Nutrients, my ass," he jeered. Quistis turned to give him a look. He knew how much she disliked crude language. "What? They probably inject a bunch of weird stuff to tamper with everything except the hot dogs. Why do you think those sell out so fast? For Hyne's sake, Garden would make more money selling hot dogs than grooming mercenaries. Cid's such a dumbass sometimes."

"Well, that 'dumbass' readmitted you, so I wouldn't be so quick to complain," she pointed out.

"Still doesn't excuse the hot dogs. Completely different things."

"Different things, same person." Quistis zipped up her duffel bag, finally finished with the chore.

"Come on, all he did was call a meeting."

Quistis was a little vexed by his comment. _Why must he undermine everything Garden does?_ "Why can't you just accept help like a normal person?"

He almost laughed at her, because she didn't see the irony of her words. "My dear Instructor, 'normal' for you and me went out the window the second we stepped foot in that orphanage."

And for the life of them, they never understood why all of their conversations always took such sudden turns. One minute, they would be bickering like old friends, and the next, they would drown again in their fate, the _liberi fatali_.

She gave up. "Fine, Seifer. Believe what you want." She strode over to the end table next to her bed and tried to set the alarm, her annoyance forgotten. "Hmm."

"What's wrong, Instructor?"

"My alarm clock seems to be out of order. It's just as well, since this thing is quite ancient." She unplugged the machine from the wall, only to find that the alarm clock itself was bolted to the end table. Quistis tried once or twice to shake the object lose but it was futile. Seifer snickered at her efforts.

"If there's one thing that Garden's good at, and one thing only," Seifer stated, "it's theft prevention. Trust me, it's pretty much impossible to rearrange Garden property without damaging it in the process. Everything is attached to everything else."

"Why do I get the feeling that you speak from experience?"

"You're obviously a woman with good instincts," he said condescendingly. She shot him another look. Quistis tried to lift the clock again, and even tried to lift the end table. She raised her eyebrows when she discovered that that too was bolted to the floor. "It doesn't matter, Trepe. I bet you'd wake up right on time."

"Well, of course, I usually do," she mused. Seifer rolled his eyes at the predictability of her habits. "But since this is a very important mission, I didn't want to take any chances."

"You're welcome to use my clock if you want," Seifer offered as he watched her give up on moving the clock.

"Thank you, Seifer, but did you forget what I have been trying to do for the last few minutes? Your alarm would be just as immobile as mine. The only way I would be able to use yours is if I slept—" She understood now, what he was trying to do. She crossed her arms but found that she couldn't tear her eyes away from that playful twinkle in his. "No, Seifer, I am not sleeping in your dorm. I have enough trouble getting used to other beds when I'm away on missions. I sleep best in familiar lodgings."

"That's fair," he said calmly. "I guess if you were in my room there wouldn't be much sleeping going on." He winked at her and gave her his most charming smile, knowing that she must be ready to smack him in the face any time now. However, what he received in return was color in her cheeks and the satisfaction of seeing her try to hide her embarrassment. Of course he had known that she'd refuse. It was a form of self-torture, really, him coming here like this, with her dressed like that, and with so little left that was holding on to his self-control. He had to carry on talking to keep himself in check. "Do you want me to stay?" he asked politely, out of character.

"Stay?"

"Yeah. Here, in your dorm. I can stay up all night if you want. I promise to wake you on time."

"Hmm . . . " She considered the idea seriously, but shook her head. "I can't ask you to do that, Seifer. It's all too much."

"You don't need to ask, I'm offering." He rested his side against the wall opposite her bed. "Besides, that way, I can legitimately say that I spent a night in your room. The Trepies will pay hundreds for the scandalous details, and—"

"Is that what this is? A chance for you to make a small profit?" She was somewhat amused by his opportunistic nature.

"The profits won't be small. These are Trepies we're talking about."

Quistis did not dignify the reality with a response. She sighed deeply and sat down on her bed, her left hand idly smoothing out the creases on the sheets. She leaned forward a little to stare at the floor, unsure of what to do about Seifer's company. An odd but unperturbed silence filled the room. Seifer adjusted his position on the wall to face her, and regarded her from where he stood. Her hair was not yet completely dry, with small curves here and there that winded themselves down the length of her tresses, making him almost forget how straight and strict her hair usually was. He followed one of the tangled strands to a lapel on her bathrobe, only to catch a glimpse of a swell of flesh. Seifer swallowed hard as he felt his mouth going dry.

_Holy Hyne._

He knew he should look away for her sake, but Seifer was never much of a gentleman. His mind went blank, save for the image he had memorized in a second's time. Within her time of moving about the dorm room, Quistis's robe had slowly loosened itself as bathrobes had a tendency to do when tied limply. Did she know that her robe gaped open like that when she sat down and leaned forward? Just a hint of what lay beneath had him frozen in his place while his racing heart blazed a trail through his body. He drank in the view, trying to conceal his interest. He saw so much, yet so little. Quistis had always been a tantalizing picture, drawing him closer and closer until he had his nose up against the painting like an ignorant fool that didn't know the first thing about art or beauty. His lips itched to reach under the rest of the robe to touch her, and if she hated him forever afterwards, it would have been worth it. _But if she doesn't . . ._

" . . . fer, are you all right? . . . Seifer?"

He barely heard her voice in the midst of his romantic dream.

Quistis continued after he shifted in response. "What's the matter? You seem preoccupied."

"What can I say, Trepe," he spoke as a smile tugged at a corner of his lips. Seifer was finding it increasingly difficult to stay in her room without doing something he might regret. "You drive me to distraction." An understatement. He looked her in the eye, only the slightest bit guilty, like a boy caught with one hand in the cookie jar and the other hand holding a cookie already half-eaten.

"Then perhaps I never should have been your Instructor," she said, rising from her place on the bed to walk back into the living area of the dorm. "Maybe you would have paid more attention to the lectures."

"You misunderstood me, my darling Instructor." Seifer pushed his body away from the wall and swiftly caught her wrist before she could saunter too far. Quistis visibly shivered from his touch and, encouraged, Seifer turned her around to face him again. He looked into her eyes, gifting her attention with a small smirk. "There's a big difference between being distracted from someone" — he dared to touch her hair to finally confirm its texture — "and being distracted by someone." Still damp, her hair clung to his hand the way an invisible hand seemed to grip his quickening heart.

Quistis inhaled and exhaled slowly, and on the latter act, her shoulders slackened just enough for the loose robe to begin slipping off her shoulder. Her body temperature rose from feeling something rather foreign to her usual palette of emotions, and her hand hastened to bring the robe back to her form. Seifer's hand seemed to tremble against her wrist . . . or was it her own wrist that was trembling?

She was stammering, now. "I — Seifer, I'll be fine. Don't worry about the alarm, it's—"

"Why don't I come tomorrow morning?"

Her mind was too frazzled to understand how he could speak so rationally when his breathing had been so irregular mere seconds ago. "What do you mean?"

"You stay in your dorm, where everything is what you like it to be." His tone appeared distant. He released her from his grasp and made to leave. She felt cold again. "I'll sleep in my own dorm, but I'll turn on my alarm. I'll knock loudly on your door tomorrow, and if that doesn't wake you up, then you're on your own."

"I see. That's an excellent idea, Seifer," she praised. "Please give me the wake-up call at five-thirty."

"Five-thirty!" That part of the day was very early for him.

"You don't have to do this."

He turned back to look at her with his hand on the wall, ready to open the door. She stood before him with one hand still clutching both lapels of her robe, closing him off to the vision beneath. Suddenly, 0530 hours felt like an eternity away.

"No, it's fine. See you later, Trepe."

"Good night, Seifer." She sounded a little sad, but he chalked it up to his imagination.

He pushed the button to open the door and made a prompt exit. When the door closed behind him, he planted an elbow and forearm against the wall, and soon, his forehead joined them. Seifer found himself shuddering, tried to make sense of the warm chills spreading through his body, and strove to steady his breath and collect his thoughts.

_That was torture._

He scoffed to no one in particular as a weary smile crossed his face.

_That was paradise._

* * *

**...**

**..**

**.**_  
_

**Author's Note:** This chapter contained the longest continuous scene I've ever written. Sorry for the long delay; life got in the way, but I finally found some time over the last month to work on this chapter. I felt that the perspectives kept switching back and forth - very inconsistent, yes - but I couldn't really convey what I wanted in any other way (I suppose that's just my inexperience hindering me; I'm working on that).

Thank you to those of you who continue to read and review. I am very thankful for your loyalty and patience. Thank you again for reading, and I always appreciate feedback and opinions. The last few chapters haven't been that lengthy, so I hope this one satisfies until the next one. This chapter wasn't supposed to be this long!


	16. Silent Voice

**Chapter ****XVI**** – Silent Voice**

_Old curses linger in silence . . ._

_While the stakes continue to rise . . ._

_All because of one game._

* * *

Quistis was dumbfounded by Seifer's sudden absence and deafened by the sound of her pulse. She took in a shaky breath and made her way back to her bed where she sat and pondered, at a complete loss for words.

_Why am I surprised? Seifer's behavior was nothing out of the ordinary. He's always been this way: erratic, irrational, sardonic, and unpredictable._

She touched her wrist with her other hand and blushed in the empty room, glad that there was no one around to witness this awkward act. She found herself blushing more as of late, though only around Seifer. But that couldn't be helped, especially since he had gotten much more forward with his mockery. Tonight, Seifer had been a little more physical than usual. She never expected his touch to affect her to this extent. The last time she felt his bare hands was during Squall and Rinoa's wedding, where they had danced together and almost—

_I need to forget about that already . . . whatever it was or whatever it may have been. He was probably only toying with me again._

Still, she couldn't tear her mind away from his compelling gaze, the many times she stopped breathing altogether when his eyes landed on her, and how those rare moments of his kindness and consideration seemed to surface from nowhere. Quistis couldn't explain how she felt. This thrilling sensation resembled fear and elation all at once, and she was more inclined to believe that it was the former. She could relate to fear, but elation? Had she even felt something like that enough to know how it really feels?

Sighing in aggravation, Quistis ran a hand through her hair only to find that it was still slightly damp. She sighed in defeat as she realized that she had almost forgotten about the mission tomorrow. This wasn't fair at all, the way Seifer held such power over people – over _her_. How could he do this to her? How _does_ he do this to her? She thought back to the earlier part of his visit, which felt almost like an interrogation – what business was it of his that she was going on a mission?

But it was so easy to simply move aside and let his presence command the room. Seifer had always had that effect, which made it so tricky for her to maintain her authority in the classroom. Quistis had to admit it: Seifer was a born-leader with the looks and talent for charming his way out of – and into – almost anything, and yet he chose to use his skills for mischief and misdemeanors. She, on the other hand, had to work tirelessly to get to where she was now even in her own classroom where her authority was _appointed_, only to be trumped by Seifer's imposing form and jeering voice time and time again. Whenever he made a snarky comment, the students would turn to look at him, and she would feel her control slipping away, leaving behind only her composure.

_If I keep mulling over this issue any longer, I'd be playing right into his hand. No, that's enough. Time to sleep._

She went back to the bathroom to finish what she had started, and tried to drench her thoughts in the drone of her hairdryer.

* * *

Seifer turned off his alarm at 0400 hours, realizing that there was no way he would be sleeping any more, and thus would have no need for an alarm. Over the span of the night, he had taken a few naps here and there when he felt tired, and had taken two cold showers – not in that order. There was simply too much thinking to be done, especially about his field exam, and especially about Quistis. Thoughts of the former made him sleepy enough to nap but subconsciously anxious enough to wake him shortly after; thoughts of the latter provoked the showers. Seifer blamed her perceptive eyes, her full lips, her forbidden bosom, her too-proper mannerisms, her choice of a weapon (and who wouldn't factor that in?), and he could go on and on. Quistis was a veritable potpourri of the best of Nature's gardens, making the rest of the world seem like swamps by comparison.

Seifer sighed and sat at the edge of his bed. He couldn't stand it any longer. He didn't care that she had a mission today; she was the one who lost him a night of rest and she was going to pay for it.

So, promptly at 0415, Seifer didn't bother to get properly dressed and went knocking on Quistis's door. As he predicted, she came to the door wide-awake and fully clothed, much to Seifer's disappointment.

"Good morning, Seifer."

"Hey."

They took in each other in the hallway lights. She was wearing her SeeD uniform, the lapels immaculately dusted; he was wearing his training pants, intentionally shirtless. She noticed, of course, and he noticed that she noticed. If she was going to torture him, then he would do the same to her. Seifer could only hope that it was having an effect on her, and his hopes were high when she spoke in an unsteady voice that accompanied yet another blush, to which he was growing much accustomed.

"Would you like to . . . come in? It gets drafty in the hall." She averted her eyes from his chest to look at his face, but quickly looked away again. Quistis stepped aside to let Seifer pass. "You're early," she said as she turned to gather her things.

Seifer made his way over to her armchair and sat on the armrest to watch her mill about her room. "I thought you'd be up already anyway."

"Am I really that predictable?"

"Maybe I just know you that well," he boasted with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. She said nothing as she continued to root through her bag. "Didn't you already finish packing last night?"

"It never hurts to double-check."

"Where are you staying anyway?" He mindlessly scratched at the fabric of the armchair with a fingernail, and he watched as the surface of the fabric began to pill a little. Seifer looked up at Quistis in time to see her zip up the bag with a flourish of finality.

"Dr. Odine's facilities," she replied. "No other details have been disclosed."

He made a face. "So you don't even know what you're going to be doing there?" She shook her head. "Is that allowed? I thought Garden doesn't accept any missions without knowing everything ahead of time."

"Well, Cid obviously made an exception since this mission involves some sort of study on Time Compression—"

"Wait—what!" Seifer's own abrupt reaction came as a surprise, even to him. "Is there something that someone needs to be telling me?" He stood up and began to stalk toward her.

"No one is telling anyone anything, Seifer. As I've already mentioned, we know nothing beyond the fact that they need a few SeeDs in Esthar." He motioned for her to carry on. "Seifer, there is honestly nothing more I can tell you at this point."

He laughed in her face, a sound of subdued hysterics. "Then you may as well be walking into a death trap, Instructor. Who knows what the hell's up there?" Seifer's tone became increasingly frenetic. "And why's _Time Compression_, of all things, still messing around in this world? I thought everything went away when you defeated Ultimecia. Or was that all just a giant hoax concocted by the Sorceress? Maybe she's still here somewhe—"

"Seifer, you need to calm down," she interrupted sternly, holding up both hands in front of her in a defensive gesture.

"Calm down? In case you haven't _noticed_, Instructor, this is a _bit_ of a touchy subject for me." The ventilation in Garden's dorms blew past a small sheen of sweat that had begun to build on his chest, but that wasn't what made him shiver. "If that annoying bitch is still out there, then someone needs to let me know."

"And what business is it of yours whether she lives or not?" she challenged.

"How is it _not_ my business!" He snarled at her now, agitated by her ignorance. "You don't know what she's like. You and your little ragtag team, headed by Mr. Reluctant Hero of the Year . . . you only ever see her from one side, from a distance. Me? I _lived_ with her for _months_, and things aren't exactly pleasant in a Sorceress's stronghold."

"I can understand, Seifer, but that was your choice."

"Doesn't mean I don't regret it, Trepe. She used me, okay? I was young, I was naïve, and I had just been rejected again by the only place I called home. Think of her as my rebound, if that helps you sleep better at night." Seifer paused to ponder his last turn of phrase. "No, scratch that, that's disgusting. She was Matron for a while, for Hyne's sake."

In his peripheral, he saw Quistis smile for a quarter of a second at his remark before her countenance became sullen again. "Why didn't you turn back? Why didn't you just stop?"

He turned to her, astounded. "Instructor, are you seriously asking me that? If it had been that easy to turn back, then we wouldn't have had an apocalypse to deal with. I was already in too deep before I realized that I didn't want any of that anymore. Sure, it was all fun and games in the beginning: giving orders and strategizing, having all that power and control—"

"She knew that you liked those things," Quistis noted as she took a seat at the small dining table. She tilted her head up to observe him. He stared down at her, wanting her to see the full capacity of the Evil that he once beheld.

"That's what she does. She takes everything you like and gives it to you, and while you're busy with your new toys, you don't notice that she's ripping every part of you to pieces to be played like pawns. Before you know it, she turns you into one of _her_ toys."

Seifer breathed out through his nose and pulled out the other dining chair effortlessly. He rested his palms on the back of the chair only to stare blankly at his hands, and he finally sat down facing the doorway, propping up the elbow closest to the table and letting his fingertips hang down from the table's edge.

"That's how she draws you in. It's all a big game to her, and the danger is that she makes the game so _irresistible_. She sets it up to look like you can't lose, so why wouldn't you play? She gives you everything you need to succeed and encourages creativity. Hyne-dammit, it was so thrilling at first. The moment when you're about to make a kill, that feeling of total control over the fate of someone's life . . . I got addicted to the rush for a while, but when it's all over and done, when you step back to take in what you did . . . you realize that that feeling might not even be _human_, and that's when you know you've lost yourself, and that you've lost the game. You lost everything the second you decided that you wanted to play."

He paused and considered Quistis's unwavering gaze, their eyes meeting over a small glass of water and a metal pitcher on the table. _Those weren't there before_, he observed.

"Drink," she ordered softly. He hadn't even noticed that she had gotten up to bring him something to wash down the cathartic episode. In fact, he hadn't even noticed that he was thirsty. The water went down like a raging river, cooling the fury in his stomach as he gathered his thoughts in the collective stillness of the room.

"Trepe, there's a lot of blood on my hands," he continued as she poured him more water. He lifted the glass and spun the liquid around aimlessly. "Yeah, so what if I didn't personally kill that many people? I still commanded forces and they did what they were told and that makes me responsible. And maybe _that's_ what really kills you: it's not that she takes control of you, it's that she makes you lose control of yourself."

He never talked about those days, because no one had ever asked. He had never felt so serious before her, but she needed to know — _someone_ needed to know. He took another swig and emptied the glass in one fluid motion. "Do you know what it's like, Instructor? Do you know what it's like when you lose yourself?" He set down the glass and brought his entire frame to face her.

"There's nothing. When you get to the end of the line, where it's just you and the darkness, and you lose yourself in the shadows, there's _nothing_. You can't talk back; there's nothing to say. There's nothing left. Just silence. And _that's_ why she's so horrifying."

He tried to stabilize his mood by drawing in as much air as he could and dispelling it back into the room. Seifer could feel the air swirl around under his nose as he breathed out. He sensed that all of this information was a sudden and heavy load, a burden that he inadvertently shifted to her shoulders. He didn't wait for a reaction. He simply waited.

"You weren't the only one to blame," she said plainly and neutrally, as if giving a lecture on GFs. When there was no response she continued, looking at the water pitcher absently. "Lives are lost on all sides of wars. As you killed, so did we." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms loosely. "But Seifer, perhaps you were better off after all. You feel remorse for what you've done, but the truth is . . . most of us don't really feel that at all."

"Of course you don't," he scoffed. "You were all on the _righteous_ side of things."

"Just because we were killing for the 'right' reason does not excuse the consequences."

"At least you were doing it to save other lives. You were the one who taught me about utilitarianism. Sacrifice a few for the greater good. If you didn't kill, someone would've killed you, and who would've saved the world then? You did what you had to do to survive," he reasoned.

"So did you."

Seifer didn't know if her perspective was right on all levels, but it didn't seem completely wrong either. Hearing Quistis say that somehow made him feel slightly more at ease. He watched her bite on her bottom lip in a state of contemplation, and he fleetingly wondered what it would be like if it were him biting on those lips instead.

"SeeD training never took root in you quite the way it was supposed to," she went on, crossing her arms on the table. "We were groomed to fire weapons, obey orders, and kill on cue. We've grown up knowing no other way of life, and so we don't feel the appropriate emotions in the corresponding situations."

"You feel nothing after all the things you've done?" Seifer found that hard to believe, though he expected nothing less from a fellow mercenary.

"Well, not exactly 'nothing'. Of course there's a requisite amount of guilt, but we've been taught to suppress these feelings for the sake of fulfilling missions. Feelings would only interfere, and they're not necessary for following orders. It has been this way for so long that, as a result, I question my own feelings of shame: am I feeling this way because I know I'm actually feeling it, or is it because I know that's how I'm supposed to feel?"

"So you're saying . . . you don't know if you're faking it?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

"Well, gee, Trepe, that's just messed up. And here I thought that I was the lost cause between the two of us," he joked half-heartedly. His mind almost twisted to spout an innuendo about the Instructor 'faking' something else, but he decided that perhaps the timing wasn't quite appropriate given the context of the conversation. Detention averted.

"That's why I envy you sometimes, Seifer," she declared. "You never allowed Garden to dehumanize you the way it did to the rest of us. You never responded well to authority."

He sniggered. "It's funny, Trepe. You seem to be fully aware of these 'effects', and yet you conformed to the establishment anyway, _became_ the establishment, and . . . well, I hate to throw your own words back at you, Instructor, but that was your choice." Actually, he didn't hate that at all. It was rather satisfying in its own right, using her words against her.

"I know."

They exchanged a hushed glance of understanding, and after half a minute of peace, he was almost startled when she pushed herself away from the table to stand up.

"Well, I have my duties," she began. "I don't have much more time to sit here and deliberate the details of our psyches."

He knew she was only trying to escape the subject. From what her clock read, she had plenty of time. "Leaving so soon, Instructor? You must not enjoy my company very much."

Quistis looked up at the ceiling and her shoulders slumped with a sigh. "Not everything is about you, Seifer. I need to go find Selphie to make sure that she knows about our mission."

"Shouldn't the Messenger Girl be the one delivering all the messages?"

"That's not all she does, you know. I wish you wouldn't label people that way." She lifted her packed belongings from the table and moved them toward the door.

"No, that _is_ all she does." His eyes followed the bag. "I never see her _not_ yapping away like a well-rested puppy, just talking _at_ people. If she ever defies that label, then I'll stop using it."

"You call me 'Instructor' when I'm no longer that to you."

"And when are you _not_ an Instructor, Trepe? You _never stop_. It's always 'Seifer, do this', 'Seifer, don't do that'. For Hyne's sake, Trepe . . . people should work to live, not live to work. Do you ever take a day off?" She opened her mouth to object, but he carried on. "Just last night, you were practically ordering me to pass my exam."

"Needless to say, Instructors don't want their students to fail." Quistis stepped away from the door to confront him directly. "Besides, you owe me."

He didn't remember owing her anything. "That's news to me."

"No, it shouldn't be." She turned her nose up at him, and from that one familiar gesture, Seifer already knew that whatever came out of her lips now would be truth, and nothing but the truth. "If you recall, I was your support a while ago for your prerequisite exam, and I had said to you, verbatim, that you'll owe me for this incident."

Now he remembered.

He laughed in disbelief and pushed his face a little closer to hers. "Well, forgive me if I thought you were joking, Instructor. That's the sort of thing people just say and never really mean."

"I meant every word." Her gaze was steady.

"I guess it's my own damned fault. I should've known you would keep score."

"I always keep score."

He noted the way her lips puckered up twice during her last statement. "You see this? It's just like I said: you never stop."

They stayed where they were for a moment: she, almost glaring at him for the unwarranted (though true) criticisms; and he, smirking away at the fact that she knew he was right. It was a good feeling. Seifer rarely had the chance to be 'right' around her.

He also rarely had the chance to watch Quistis try to keep her gaze somewhere above his neck. Whenever her eyes began to stray downwards, they would snap back up to his face, only to be met by his knowing smirk. She cleared her throat and spoke first. "From what I saw in Fire Cavern and the war, you should have nothing to worry about. I'm sure you'll be fine this time, Seifer."

"Uh-huh, sure." He was thoroughly unconvinced by her belief in his capacities, and he tried to shake off his own doubts and second thoughts about the whole affair. "What makes you think I have what it takes, now more than before?"

"I hesitate to tell you things you may already think about yourself, since I know what that could do to your ego."

"Stroke away, Instructor," he winked.

Quistis rolled her eyes. "As I was saying, you'll be fine. Your gunblade skills are unmatched—"

"Naturally."

"You have great stamina—"

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?"

"Your tactics are sound, for the most part—"

"My methods work if morons don't get in my way."

"Your casting speed is commendable—"

This time, it was Quistis that stopped herself.

"Done already, Instructor? I thought you were just getting started."

Quistis narrowed her eyes. "Seifer, you don't junction any GFs."

"I'm not a team player," he asserted, crossing his arms.

"That's not the issue here." She seemed to search his face for an answer. "Non-physical abilities cannot be used without the help of a GF."

He was not looking forward to the inevitable deduction. "What's your point, Trepe?"

"You should not be able to draw or cast magic without GFs."

Her unstated question was strongly implied. It was time to come clean, even if he did nothing wrong. "She did it."

Quistis froze momentarily, and nodded in understanding. Blue eyes fixed themselves on the floor.

"She did it to make me more powerful, back then." He turned from her and moved a few steps away.

"It's rather convenient," Quistis noted.

"Well, I never asked for it!" He booming voice almost echoed in the room. "I hate relying on anything but my own four limbs — she may have done it just to annoy me." Seifer blew some pent-up air through his mouth and ran a hand through his hair. "When she died, I thought that her little 'gift' would die with her, but that's obviously not the case."

She spoke, uncharacteristically delicate. "Did you want to get some tests done? You could come with me right now, and perhaps Dr. Odine can—"

"No!" He whirled back around to face her. "I refuse to be a lab rat, especially under the hands of that self-serving, second-rate scientist!"

"Sei—"

"I can live with it. I have and I will."

Quistis shook her head. "Fine. Have it your way. But help is available if you need it."

"I don't need _help_."

She stayed silent and simply watched him. The tension in the air began to disperse when she changed the subject. "Well, do your best on your exam, then."

A small part of him appreciated her willingness to drop the issue. The smirk came back to his face as he readied an apt retort. "The exam can't handle my best." Feeling his confidence return, he casually leaned against the wall next to the door. His eyes made a quick trip around her features, and for the first time this morning, he noticed that her glasses were not on. "For the sake of everyone taking the exam, maybe I shouldn't give my best after all."

Her eyes widened the slightest bit as she tried to suppress her exasperation. "Seifer, what in the world is going to make you take this seriously?"

"I'm sure you know by now that detentions never work, which means that I would respond _very_ well to positive reinforcement."

She did not beat around the bush. "What do you want?"

Seifer really hadn't thought that far. _What do I want? I want to disband the Trepies. I want Talman to die a gruesome, gory death. I want to toss Squall into a giant fountain. I want you to make me a sandwich. While wearing a proper apron. With nothing on underneath. I want…_

One of his hands moved of its own accord, cupped her chin and tilted it up. He could feel her pulse playing a rapid rhythm on one of his fingers. The gleam in her eyes throbbed along with her heartbeat. The light of the sunrise infiltrated the moment, and he almost sank into the blue waves of her eyes, a place more treacherous than the midst between the Balamb Sea and the horizon.

"A kiss," he answered at long last.

She swallowed a protest to preserve her poise. "And where can I find one of those for you?"

"No search party necessary. I want a kiss from Quistis Trepe," he specified, the last two words he spoke as if savoring the syllables on his tongue.

She tensed up and slid her chin out of his palm. "You want a kiss? From me?" It was clear to him that she did not believe a word he was saying, and felt the need to reconfirm reality — or perhaps deny it — by repeating the contents of her delusion. He wouldn't give her that luxury.

"Yeah, you heard me. A kiss. A lip lock. Whatever you want to call it."

"My first kiss, Seifer. And I'm just supposed to _give_ it to you?" Oddly, she did not sound as surprised as he thought she would be. Perhaps he underestimated her self-control. It was a wonder he hadn't yet been removed from her room by excessive force.

"I would've earned it by passing my exam. Besides, I never thought you were the type to place so much value on something so terribly sentimental." She was almost glaring at him, now. He heaved a sigh in mock frustration. "Look, if it's any consolation, it will be my first, too."

At his confession, she appeared thoroughly astonished, but the condescension remained in her voice. "Oh? So the Great Seifer Almasy has never kissed anyone before?"

"Please. The 'Great Seifer Almasy' doesn't exactly have the time or the patience to be going around kissing people left and right. If you're observant at all, you'll realize that the populace doesn't exactly throw itself at me these days."

She brushed right past his comment. "What can I gain from this?" But of course she would ask such a thing, for in Quistis's world, all scales must be balanced.

"Hyne, Trepe, what more do you want? You already get to kiss _me_. I could be auctioning off my kiss for thousands. 'Always wanted to kiss a Sorceress's ex-knight? Ten thousand Gil will make your dreams come true!' It's _begging_ to be a collector's item."

The corner of her mouth twitched once, unwilling to form a smile. "Is that your backup plan? If you don't make SeeD, you'll just become a gigolo?"

"You know you'd pay a few months' salary just for one night with me."

"Do you really think you're _that_ valuable? You've no clue of what I make in a month."

He closed in on her. "And you have no idea what you'd get from me in one night."

A blush lit up her face. As she tried to avoid his eyes, she almost sputtered, "Seifer, this conversation has taken a rather inappropriate turn. I'm your Instructor, for Hyne's sake."

"Not anymore, you're not. You told me so." He reached over to her shoulder and pulled off a piece of lint that was stuck to her uniform. She did not move. "For someone with such a watertight memory, you are selectively forgetful sometimes. Let's hope you even remember who I am when you come back from your mission."

"Is this all just a game to you, Seifer? I thought you would be sick of games by now."

"I'll play whatever and however I want, as long as it's on my own terms."

"I suppose you love winning too much to give up games forever. Well, if you're going to play, then so am I." She stood a little straighter, her lapels nearly touching his bare chest. His hands were on his hips as he waited for her to resume. "If you fail your exam . . . " She gave her dorm a final sweep of inspection as she dwelled on the demand. "You have to kiss Zell."

He did not dignify her stipulation with a response. At least, not right away. In the time it took for the sheer absurdity of the thought to fully form in his mind, Quistis had opened the door and walked out into the hallway with her personal effects.

Seifer was visibly revolted by the mere thought of anyone doing anything of the sort to Zell. "Trepe, there is _no way_, in heaven or hell, that I would _ever_ touch that skinny-ass Chicken-wuss unless it's with my fists and my—"

"Then you'd better make sure you pass the exam," came her interjection.

He scoffed softly. His hand came up again to her chin, and the thick wool of her uniform rose and fell as she took in a deep breath. This time, he glided his thumb past her lips. "As long as you pay up, that shouldn't be a problem." He half-expected her sense of propriety to move her away from his grasp, but something seemed to be keeping her in place. Each exhalation she made passed by his thumb, giving birth to goose bumps along the way. He unconsciously leaned forward to capture what wasn't yet his.

"Good luck, Seifer."

He snapped out of his reverie and smirked at her. As much as he would've liked to claim her for himself, right here, right now, Seifer Almasy never takes what he didn't earn. A feeling of déjà vu washed over him.

"Instructor, save those words for a bad student that needs them, eh?"

"Very well." She gave him a smile. He didn't know if it was meant to be comforting, but it did the trick. "I'll see you in a few days."

He had anticipated a replay of the scene before his last exam for old time's sake, but clearly something had changed. Quistis offered her only free hand, outstretched. "I'll follow through if you will."

They sealed the deal with a firm handshake. He caught her looking at his chest this time.

"Seifer . . . "

"Yes, Instructor?"

"Put a shirt on before you intimidate any of the Cadets."

Quistis turned on her heel and marched down the hallway. He took the opportunity to give her figure a onceover from the back, and when he shifted to move out of the light, the door closed swiftly and left him alone in her dorm.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I finally finished this chapter. It's been waiting to be written for months, and I just never found the time to do it. Personally, I feel that something is still lacking in this chapter (or maybe even this fic in general), so I hope it was everything you expected and more. Thank you to those of you who are still reading this fic despite the long lapses, and especially those of you who leave behind a review to let me know how much you've been enjoying it all.

I think the real "plot" of the story has just begun. Everything else that came before were merely set-ups and preparation for the things to come. I hope you'll continue to find this story to your liking. I'm not overly ambitious about the plot line - there will be no apocalyptic battle/event as is present in many fics of this scale (although I don't really quite know what 'this scale' is). That's just not my style, and I don't think I'm very good at those anyway.

As before, I'll put a note down here occasionally for those of you who do not subscribe to the story alerts. Thank you for frequently checking in, and please have a safe and happy holiday, wherever you may be.


	17. Mighty Guard

**Chapter ****XVII**** – Mighty Guard**

_The lonely and the lost . . ._

_Find the cracks in their shields . . ._

_All because of one journey._

* * *

She arrived at the hangar bay in what seemed like a blink of an eye. The distance from her dorm to her destination disappeared all too soon. The hand that held her bag felt numb as the rough fabric of the straps burned into her palms.

"Quisty! You're here!" A pair of spindly arms wrapped themselves around her like an Anacondaur. "I'm so glad because I thought you were out looking for me but I didn't want to go look for you because what if we end up running around in circles until—"

"Whoa! Slow down there, girlie! Everything's fine!" Irvine clamped his hat down on Selphie's head. "She's not that late! Besides, it's early in the morning, and everyone needs beauty sleep."

'_Not that late'? What time is it?_ Quistis glanced at the red numbers on the hangar wall. 0643 hours. 13 minutes late.

"I apologize for making you wait so long, Selphie. I had an unexpected issue this morning."

"Don't worry, Quisty! You said we weren't taking off until seven anyway! The team is all here, so if you wanna leave now just say the word! Cid left me a message yesterday morning and told me to get my tools ready for a quick tune-up, so that's where I was in case you were wondering since we obviously never had a chance to talk in person last night. I'm just super-duper excited that Squall actually gave us permission to use Rocky!"

It took a moment before Quistis remembered that Selphie had given the Ragnarok, of all things, a pet name. "I'm afraid we likely won't make much use of the ship aside from the commute."

"Oh, I don't care! It's been too long since I got to play with him. Every second counts!" Selphie returned the hat to Irvine and ran into the ship ahead of the others. It was then that Quistis noticed her carefully chosen team of nine SeeDs had already arrived as well, which only added to her embarrassment.

The Instructor cleared her throat. "If everyone is ready, please board the ship and I will give our orders and intelligence en route. I will meet you in the Passenger Room." The SeeDs filed into the ship. Quistis felt Irvine come up beside her.

"Ladies first," he quipped with a gesture of his hat. Her boots clanged on the metal ramp and the steady thump of Irvine's steps followed. The ramp retracted behind them and Selphie's voice came through the speakers.

"Okay, everybody! I'm only giving you five minutes to sit down and buckle up, so you better hurry!"

Quistis and Irvine parted ways at an intersection; he headed for the cockpit and she to the Passenger Room. The SeeDs had loaded their luggage into the appropriate compartments and were just settling into the seats as she made a beeline for the front of the room. Quistis held on to a guardrail on the side of the room as the ship began to move. A few SeeDs murmured in awe at the ease at which the Ragnarok took to the air. The ship stabilized before long.

"Pilot to Passenger Room!" the speakers chirped. "Ship Master, do you copy?"

Quistis lifted her head. "Affirmative. Please set a course for Esthar and abide by the standard route, over."

"Copy that, Ship Master!" Everyone in the room felt the ship shifting.

"Ship Master to Pilot. Please maintain a speed in accordance with airway regulations. Do you copy? Over."

She knew Selphie wouldn't be too pleased. "Oh, boooooo! That's no fun, but okay . . . roger that, Ship Master. We should get there in about two hours, over!"

"Thank you, Pilot. Once I have finished the briefing, I will join you in the cockpit. Over and out."

She turned to her team. Her hands withdrew to her back, where she folded them neatly. She assumed her authoritative posture.

"Good morning, everyone. For the duration of this mission, I will be your Captain and you shall address me as such. In the event that I am absent to give orders, SeeDs Selphie Tilmitt and Irvine Kinneas will be seconds in command.

"As I briefly explained yesterday, we have been contracted by Dr. Odine to attend to an issue related to Time Compression effects left over from the most recent Sorceress War." She pressed a button and the screen lit up with a full-body photo of the scientist. The room echoed with laughter. "Yes, for those of you who have never seen him, that is indeed our client. Dr. Odine is currently the world's leading expert in Sorceress and para-magic research. At this point in time, we do not have much information. The remaining intelligence will be forthcoming."

Quistis pressed the same button again on the control panel. Names popped up on the screen in groups of three.

"I have divided you into specific teams of the most complementary combinations based on your skills and abilities. You were chosen for this mission for your interest and knowledge regarding Time Compression and Sorceresses. This assignment may prove to be quite educational for all of us. However, keep in mind that we were not hired to observe and learn – those are merely fringe benefits. While we may be here to aid in scientific progress, each task may have potential life-or-death consequences. Never let down your guard.

"Accommodations and meals will be provided in the Presidential Palace. We will have a briefing every morning and afternoon until the end of the mission. The duration of this mission is undefined until we have more details. Esthar's political landscape is currently stable. However, there may be some citizens that are opposed to Dr. Odine's research and may not be too pleased to see a mercenary presence, especially if they make the connection between Dr. Odine and us. Please conduct yourselves diplomatically. No other external factors should interfere with our mission. I will take your questions now."

A young SeeD eagerly raised his hand. Quistis nodded. "Captain, why does Dr. Odine look like a giant beach umbrella?"

"Because he is an eccentric scientist whose contributions to society have apparently earned him the right to look like whatever he wants. Any other questions?"

No more questions.

"Thank you for your time. Once we disembark, please form into your groups and wait for further instruction."

Each SeeD gave a seated salute. Quistis nodded curtly and left the Passenger Room. She heaved a sigh and straightened her uniform before entering the cockpit to join her colleagues.

"—phie, you silly Geezard, you _know_ I put the 'cock' in 'cockpit'—"

"Ever the professional soldier, aren't you?" Quistis interrupted.

At the sound of Quistis's voice, Selphie's head snapped back to look at the Instructor. Selphie tried to slap Irvine and he made a half-hearted attempt at dodging. "Hey, Quisty! We left your transceiver on so we heard the whole briefing. I guess we really don't have any other pictures of Dr. Odine, huh?"

Quistis eased herself into one of the seats behind the two. "The man isn't exactly photogenic. I'm not surprised that he doesn't want his picture taken, and that no one really wants to take photos of him. Besides, he's much too busy for publicity. He has important work to do." She secured her bag beneath the seat and absently watched the map on the screen in front of her. A small blinking green light indicated the ship's current location.

The green light reminded her of his eyes. Reminded her of how they always watched her – unrelentingly so. Reminded her of how close his face had been – dangerously close . . .

She spotted a blob of yellow in her periphery. Selphie was sitting on the floor next to her. Blue eyes met green, and Quistis felt somewhat disappointed, as the green eyes she most wanted to see would have been several shades lighter and darker all at once.

"What can I do for you, Selphie?"

Selphie's grin overflowed with curiosity. "Whatcha thinkin' about, Quisty?"

"Shouldn't you be flying the ship?"

"Oh, don't worry, it's on auto-pilot now! Rocky's only gonna be moving in a straight line and Irvy will be on watch!"

Irvine swirled around in the chair to join the conversation. "Yup, we've got things under control here."

Selphie pointed to the front of the ship. "Eyes to the skies, cowboy! I just told Quisty that _you're_ watching it!"

"Right, right, sorry!" He laughed and returned to his original position, adjusting his hat all the while.

Selphie looked up at Quistis again. How long had she been there? How could she have not noticed Selphie sneaking up to her? _This is his fault_, Quistis gathered. _He makes me all discombobulated, distracted . . ._ She had not slept as much as she wanted, and had spent part of the night awake, not even thinking anything in particular about him but just thinking _of_ him. She could not function this way.

"Sooooooo?" Selphie had been watching her quietly.

" . . . yes?"

"What were you thinking so hard about?" she repeated.

"Oh, just the mission, that's all."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Selphie brought her knees close to her chest, rested an arm on one knee, and cradled her head on her wrist. "And whaaaaaaaat is it about the mission that's making you blush like that?"

Quistis went red again. She didn't know that she had been so transparent.

"There it is! What on Gaia—" Selphie's eyes went wide. "Oh. My. _Goodness_!"

Quistis's pulse quickened. "What? What is it?"

Selphie shook her head and threw up her hands as if the answer had been obvious all along. " . . . you have a crush on Dr. Odine."

Two seconds passed before Irvine released a high-pitched squeal in amusement.

"That's—no. Selphie, I—that is _not_ true."

"I should've known! Every time we bring him up, you're always defending him, saying how he has _such_ important work to do _all the time_. I mean, sure, the guy looks like a circus tent, but I don't think looks really matter that much to our Quisty! Right, Irvy?"

"That's right," Irvine agreed. His feet were on the control panel and he had reclined his seat to accommodate a more leisurely position. "Intellectual stimulation, that's the way to your heart."

Quistis didn't know whether she should be offended or flattered. Nonetheless, she felt the need to explain herself. "All right, you want the truth?" she began sternly. Selphie nodded furiously. Irvine leaned an ear toward her. "I appreciate his work, I think he has a brilliant mind, but as far as attraction goes, I am only interested in his research. My feelings for his character and his person are ever so contrary."

Irvine let out a low whistle and returned to his only responsibility.

"What?" Quistis directed the query at Irvine. The irritation in her voice lingered in the air.

Selphie gaped at Quistis. "Wow, Quisty . . . I didn't think you would be so against the idea! Don't worry about it, it's just 'cause we've never seen you so worked up about something before. Actually, you're never really that passionate unless you're arguing with Seifer."

Quistis opened her mouth to object but Irvine spoke first. "And we don't blame you for not being able to tolerate him for too long. He seems like the kinda guy who's always juuuuuuust 'bout to—" His fingers spread to hold an invisible sphere, and he separated his hands while imitating the sound of an explosion. "—erupt, so to speak."

Quistis sat back in her seat. "Have either of you spoken to him since he's been back in Garden?" she asked.

Selphie curled up into a ball on the floor and hugged her legs. Irvine answered, "Well, we've seen him around and we've seen him with you – you're usually bickering away with each other."

There was a small gap in the conversation until Selphie spoke again, "Yeah, we haven't really talked to him yet . . . it's hard, you know? We've all been through so much together, without him and against him . . . it's hard to know what to say."

Quistis was at a loss for words also. She only glanced at the top of Selphie's head.

"But I don't blame him, for anything that he did . . . he was just following orders like the rest of us. Very different orders, yeah . . . but that's how it goes. These things happen when there's a war. We're okay with that now."

"I'd probably have done the same," Irvine added. "If I had to protect my home, that is. Well, not _home_, in Seifer's case. I mean Matron. He probably remembered her and wanted to protect her from Ultimecia. I wish he'd told us. Maybe if the rest of us clued in on all that, we may've been able to help."

Quistis felt relieved and oddly unburdened to know that others felt similarly regarding Seifer's circumstances. All three heaved a collective sigh. Selphie giggled at how they were so in sync. "You know, Quisty . . . you and Seifer are kinda similar that way. You seem like you're always thinking about _stuff_. You don't really let other people in – and that's fine! 'To each his own' or however the saying goes."

"There're just so many things you don't tell other people about," Irvine said. "We just think that you shouldn't keep'em bottled up, that's all. It's what friends are for."

The idea of friendship was too alien for Quistis. She understood the concept, of course, but she never believed herself to be one of those people who had 'friends'. Friends were for the privileged and the normal. People like her students and the children in the towns – those were the people with friends.

"It's what _we_ are for, Quisty!" Selphie ecstatically jerked a thumb toward herself. "We gotta stick together! Nobody else went through what we did so who would understand us better than _us_?"

Quistis couldn't help but be a bit touched by Selphie's authenticity. What she said rang true, but the same thought plagued Quistis's rational side: if only those who fought in the War would understand her, and even _those_ people barely understood her, then what chance does she have of anyone ever really understanding her?

She sighed and patted Selphie's head. "Thank you. If I need you two, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Yeeeeeaaaaah! Maybe when we get back, we can all have a sleepover and chat aaaaaalllll night long!"

"Ohhh, I'd _definitely_ be up for that!" Irvine grinned.

Selphie jumped up, horrified. "Girls only, Irvy!"

"Even better!"

"No, that doesn't include you!" She slapped the back of his hat and it fell off his head. He scrambled to catch it.

Quistis smiled wistfully at their squabble as she reached down into her bag. She put on her glasses and opened a book.

* * *

Seifer didn't know how long he had been standing at the door, but one thing of which he was very sure, was that he was completely alone in a place where he should never be left unattended.

Solitude in Quistis's dorm room.

_Where has this been all my life?_

His eyes scrutinized the room by the amber light of the sunrise. The walls were barren, and there were no dents and scratches as was the norm in most Cadet dorms. The furniture was arranged tidily with everything placed at ninety-degree angles. Like its mistress, the room was clean and calculated. But beneath all of the stagnant forms and functions, it must be hiding something. He was sure of it, and he was going to find it. But it proved to be much more difficult than expected.

_I don't even know where to begin._

He had dreamed about this moment; in his most rational reveries, he would only have a few minutes at a time, but the fact of the matter was that he was really here, and she would be gone for at least a day. He could take all the time he wanted without interruption. He had been standing near the door all this time, contemplating away the valuable minutes. Now more than ever, he needed to live up to his reputation as a man of action. His first instinct was to go to the bedroom, but no . . . he too had methods, and it was time to put them to work.

Seifer Almasy was nosy, but he wasn't stupid. Everything had to be put back where they were after he was done. Quistis could never know he had been prying. Again, the question bounced back and forth in his head.

_Where to begin?_

The lingerie stash? No – save that for last. If he started with that, he'd never go on to anything else. Breadth was the most important. After he'd had a little taste of everything, he could then go back and decide what deserved more of his time.

_Remember your methods. Start with her façade, and then work your way in._

Books. She was always carrying books.

He took a tentative step toward a very small bookshelf that sat pompously against a wall. There was no need for her to own that many books – she had the library for that. He bent down to examine the top of the shelf and saw only a few dust particles. His head began the slow descent to the first level, where his eyes were met with a row of hardcover textbooks that he recognized from years of familiarity.

_She always did put work first._

The second level was as tightly packed as the first, but this tier contained various periodicals and scientific journals. He placed a finger on top of a spine and edged it out and away from the others carefully. He stuck a finger from the other hand into the slot where the literature had been to keep from losing its place in the lineup. Seifer propped the journal on his knee and began to flip through the pages with his free hand. Quistis had apparently marked up a few things with comments on the margins. The pieces that captured most of her attention were those on Guardian Forces.

_Boring._

He slipped the journal back into the gap to replace where his finger had been. He applied the same approach for several other publications in order to peruse them briefly, and then he decided to ignore the last level that only held more of the same. A small wooden desk almost went unnoticed next to the bookshelf, and the surface of the desk was clear save for a silver work lamp.

Seifer walked past the dining table and chairs that were occupied barely an hour ago. His legs guided him toward the pool of sunlight that illuminated the tiles. The bathroom was spotless and sparse, and much more spacious than his own. The glass doors of the shower wore only the faintest trails of dried-up water. There was no towel on the rack and no hair products in the shower; Quistis had taken those with her. He turned to see a tiny metal medicine cabinet positioned above a matching console sink. Sitting on the storage space of the console were extra towels and one extra bottle of shampoo. He placed a palm on the topmost towel and pushed down. The towel seemed to close around his hand in a fit of unbridled luxury. He snatched his hand away as a sudden sense of unease descended on him.

This kind of thing wasn't for his kind of men.

Seifer busied himself with snapping open the shampoo bottle. He held the bottle under his nose and took a small whiff of its contents. The fragrance met his exact expectations, for it smelled exactly like she did the night before: simple and clean. Nothing fruity, nothing frou-frou. Plain as bread.

He rose up and reached for the door of the medicine cabinet, ignoring his own reflection. The bottom shelf was empty, where he figured she must have stored her toothbrush and toothpaste. The rest of the cabinet was filled with bottles ordered alphabetically, and consisted mainly of painkillers and vitamin supplements.

_What does she need painkillers for? She has magic for that._

Journeying back into the living area, he noted that even the faculty dorms did not have kitchens, which would have been too much of a fire hazard. There was only one place left unexplored.

His boots stopped at the doorframe that separated the front stage from the inner sanctum of her life. It was almost difficult for him to bring himself to cross the line. He was apprehensive and all too excited, like a cartographer standing on the edge of a new world, preparing to disturb an uncharted virgin territory for the sake of wealth and knowledge.

The first step was the hardest, but each passing footfall erased his frets as effectively as the last. He envied her double bed while he had to make do with what he was given in the Cadet quarters: a twin bed that almost bred claustrophobia for people his size. The bed was made and the pillow was fluffed. At the foot of the bed sat a small dresser. He turned his palm upwards and grasped the handle on the top drawer.

Dare he do it? There would be no turning back afterwards. He tugged the drawer open without another thought. He glanced down and raised an eyebrow.

He saw only extra bed linens. Not what he expected. Not in the top drawer anyway. He tried the second drawer. _This_ he expected.

He knew it. He knew it would be true. Quistis was definitely the type of person who folded everything, including underwear.

Seifer nodded to himself victoriously while he lightly thumbed through the stack of folded cotton underwear and neatly arranged brassieres. Everything was black – a darkness in which a man could dream forever, a darkness into which a man's lust could drag him down to be lost in his own personal hell. He removed one of them from the drawer and laid it on top of the dresser, slowly unfolding it to remember how to fold it back later. It was completely unadorned and devoid of sensuality, but it was never the clothes that made the girl. Not with her. Seifer examined the garment in an almost scientific manner before his imagination got the best of him. The room felt warm and his throat felt dry. He needed to plunge himself into the frozen depths of the Balamb Sea. Right now.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._

He tried to fold the underwear back by following the creases, but his quivering fingers made multiple failed attempts at perfection. Seifer returned it to where it once lay and shut the drawer to close the alluring chasm.

That was all. There was nothing left. The adventure had come and went and he had barely anything to show for it. Feeling dejected by Quistis's empty hole of a dorm, he kicked off his boots and sank into her bed. He didn't care that he was messing up her sheets. He was angry. Bitterness clouded his mind and he couldn't think straight. It was so cruel of her to leave him here like this, alone in a room full of treasures he'd always wanted to touch, only to realize that the real treasure was the only thing that ever left this place.

And there was so much _order_ here. The pillow beneath his head was the perfect consistency, but that annoyed him. Seifer wanted to thrash and break everything in sight just for the sake of chaos. This cleanliness and neatness was so dreadfully unnatural. Like Quistis. She put up such unnatural fronts; yet she made even that look so natural. He wanted to thrust his fingers into her perfect hair and reel each thread into disarray. He wanted to slide her shirt off of one perfect shoulder to disrupt the symmetry. He wanted to make her scream his name (so perfectly) as he threw her world off balance.

He gave himself over to the irresistible daydream, a perfect trap for the most imperfect soul. He inwardly fought for some semblance of control, fought for the thought that he was better than this. But he was so devastatingly drawn to it, and the magnetic force of her perfection peeled away his iron will until he could do nothing but kneel before its power.

It was nothing short of an epiphany for him, when he realized that he only wanted perfection because he could never be perfect. He wanted everything because he could never deserve any of it. He wanted everything of hers. He wanted everything of her.

But Seifer knew she wasn't perfect – she only seemed that way. In fact, she was probably extremely repressed, given her choice of hobbies (_GF research? Really?_) and especially her lingerie. She might even be the most messed-up person in Garden for all he knew (second only to him, of course, because he always had to be the best). So why was he falling for it?

Maybe he wanted to. A part of him had always wanted to. He wanted to believe that someone like her could turn out so _right_ in this cruel and crooked world. The same could never be said for him. If he couldn't be perfect, then he'd at least try his hand at protecting perfection. He only ever wanted something to defend, to live for his romantic dream of being a Knight to the helpless and the good. And Quistis, being what she was (flawlessly perfect and perfectly flawed), needed protection more than anyone. There was no better person.

* * *

He never intended for his romantic dream to lull him to sleep. When Seifer awoke, it was already midday. He stretched and, upon fully entering consciousness, remembered that he was not in his room. He must have had a fitful sleep, as only a corner of the blanket was still on the bed. There was no way he could put these sheets back in the same state. Quistis was bound to notice. If he was going to be caught, then he was going to make the best of it.

Seifer groggily shuffled to the bathroom and grabbed the extra bottle of shampoo to take with him into the shower. Hot water spewed out almost immediately, extracting a scowl that complained about the irregularity of such a normal comfort in the Cadet dorms. He squeezed a generous helping of shampoo onto his hand. The scent once again reminded him of the night before and he inadvertently paused in reminiscence. Memory transformed into explicit contemplations, and he had to stop himself before he went too far in his own mind. It was useless, this constant daydreaming of situations and circumstances and positions and whispers and words that would never surface in reality. He was tired of being tempted and lured by her when she was nowhere near. He rotated the dial to welcome an icy blast of water and quickly ended the shower.

He hesitated for a moment before reaching for one of her spare towels, but decided that he didn't care anymore, and didn't care whether or not he 'deserved' something; if Seifer Almasy wanted it, then he was going to take it. No one was going to hand it to him, and nothing could redeem him enough to make him 'deserving' of anything. Wrapping his damp fingers around the towel, he brought it up to his face and smothered himself in softness. The decadence of the cotton felt like a refuge for his skin, and each loop of fabric ate up the water droplets with ravenous indulgence. His ego delighted in the fact that he was rubbing his body all over something of hers (to do the same to _her_, he imagined, would be no less glorious). He knew that once Quistis found out that he had touched her precious things, she'd likely set fire to all of it and replace them in a flash, which would be a lot of trouble for her indeed. Seifer was accustomed to causing trouble, so he thought nothing of it.

_It'd serve her right. I could see it now, that uptight and pretty face wrinkling in disgust . . . _

He dressed efficiently, having only brought with him his pants and boots. Seifer took one last look around and walked back to the bookshelf, took some of the textbooks and placed them on her desk in a random display solely for the sake of creating clutter.

_At least it'll look like I was studying in here._

Speaking of which, his field exam was tomorrow. If he put in a full day of training today, he could feel a little more productive. The water pitcher on the table was still half full and he drank the rest of it straight from the pitcher. He wiped his mouth with his wrist and set the pitcher back down. There was nothing more to see here, and if he stayed any longer he might get angry again.

He opened the door and stepped out, only to come face-to-face with a young Cadet.

"Ahhh!" came a small cry. "H-hey! What are you doing in Instructor Trepe's dorm?"

_Great. I need this like I need an aneurysm._ Seifer spoke somewhat condescendingly to the Cadet. "Look here, kid . . . our dear Instructor is away for a few days, and she asked me to water her plants. Got a problem?"

"Uh, well . . . " The flustered teen tried to put on a brave face, then attempted to catch Seifer in a lie. "If you were watering plants, then where's the watering can?"

Seifer let out a conceited chortle. "Are you stupid? _She's_ the one with the plants, not me. Obviously, the watering can is inside her dorm. What, you just thought I'd bring it back out with me every time? That's just dumb."

"If you're just watering plants, then where's your shirt?" A shaky finger pointed itself at Seifer's chest. That was fine. Seifer was used to people trembling and cowering in his presence.

Seifer rolled his eyes and proceeded to harangue the boy. "Have you not been listening? She has _plants_ in there. She needs to keep things pretty humid. Now, I don't know about you, but I _really_ don't like to be uncomfortable when I'm watering plants. If I know I'm going somewhere humid ahead of time, I'm going in prepared."

"Um, so . . . how'd you get in?"

"She gave me a spare key."

"Show me!"

Seifer pretended to root through one of his pant pockets, and then feigned surprise before he asked, "What's your name?"

"W-why?"

"_Name_," Seifer demanded.

"I-I'm Brian."

Seifer mustered up his best voice of mock incredulity. "Well, _Brian_, guess what? I seem to have left the key in her dorm. I probably would have noticed and had enough time to turn back to get it before the door closed, but I was busy answering your stupid questions. I don't even know when she'll be back. I guess her plants are just going to die now." He watched Brian's eyes widen. "When Instructor Trepe comes back and gets on my case about her plants, I'm just gonna have to tell her that it was all _Brian's_ fault.

"Please don't . . . she'll hate me . . . "

Seifer produced a key from a pocket and waved it in front of Brian's face. "Just kidding, moron. Now shut up and scram."

Brian, humiliated and furious, stalked off, but not before glancing back behind him to glare at Seifer one more time. One the Cadet was out of sight, Seifer walked across the hall to his room and opened his own door with the key he had shown to Brian.

_This place is just full of spineless idiots. The education they're giving out here is absolutely bogus._

He went inside his dorm to take Hyperion out for a day of practice and carnage.

* * *

**Author's Note:** After a long delay, it looks like this fic is back up and running again. My sincere apologies to everyone who have been checking in for a new update for the last several months. There have been too many personal problems affecting every area of my life, but those things have mostly been resolved and, I hope, will never get in the way of my ambitions again.

Please excuse the grammar issues. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. The pacing seems off and the flow doesn't seem quite right. I'm not sure how well I was able to properly depict my interpretation of Seifer's fickleness about his own worth. Any constructive feedback would be greatly appreciated. I think the next chapter would not take quite as long. There are lots of things to come.

Thank you again for reading, and thank you all so much for your continual patience.

**UPDATE (03-31-2013):** My sincere apologies to all of my readers. I know you've waited a very long time for my next update, but the truth is that it may not come for another month or so. I have been pulling rather long hours at work, and just haven't found the time and energy to write lately. But thank you so much again for your continual support!


End file.
